March 31, 2014

Battle Report: 3/30/2014 X-Wing Introduction

Seeing how this past weekend was my 40th birthday weekend :( I did not get as much modeling in as I wanted too (only assembled 6 assault rifle for Bolt Action), but I did manage to learn the game of X-Wing from Fantasy Flight Games.

My son has been playing this game all last year and this year, and it was one of the best selling games in 2013, so I thought it was finally time to learn the game.  I have always wanted to get involved with this game (since the miniatures are already painted), but time and other hobbies always got in the way.  Since my son has acquired a fairly decent collection of models, is was time to learn.  Plus he will be attending AdeptiCon next weekend and playing in this tournament, so I thought I'd warm him up a bit.

Of course when I get involved in a game, I really need to get involved.  So during the week I ordered us a 3'x3' space gaming mat from Miniature Market and had it delivered 2nd Day, along with the new X-Wing Imperial Aces expansion pack.

Friday night we started with the just the 'starter set' so I can get an idea on how the rules work.  After the intro game, we then moved on to the 100 point game.  My son was running a Rebel list he was originally planning on taking to AdeptiCon:  Luke, Biggs, A-Wing and a Y-Wing (not sure the upgrades he had selected), I ran the following list: Vader (PTL/Assault Missiles), Dark Curse, Kir Kands, Fel's Wrath.  I thought that I would give the new Imperial Aces a try.

Imperial list.
I do not recall all the details or all the moves.... just that the Imperial were able to shoot down Luke Skywalker and the Imperial won the game.

Then on my actual birthday yesterday, we decided to play one more game.  We changed up our lists quite a bit.  My son was now testing a 3 X-Wing/1 Y-Wing list and for myself, on Saturday I went out and got us another starter set with some more Tie-Fighters and I wanted to try the Vader's Escort list: Vader (Squad Leader), Howlrunner (Swarm Tactics), 4x Academy Tie.

Maneuvering a 'swarm list' takes skill, and I realized it is very hard to keep them in formations with using the movement templates.  It was very fun game and twice for myself moving through asteroids destroyed my ships (once being Vader).  My son played a bit better and learned to concentrate fire on a single ship at a time to eliminate them.  In the end it was a one on one between Howlrunner and Luke Skywalker and the Rebels pulled out the victory.

Vader going through an asteroid and losing his last hull point.
Afterwards we once again thought about changing my son's list for AdeptiCon.  It was hard to get him away from using 'Luke', but I said "try it for this 'tournament' and see how it does...... you can always play Luke for fun at home".  So we'll see next weekend how he does.

For myself personally, I'm not sure if I want to do tournaments with this game, I think for me this will be just a pickup game and try to play different ships.... but who knows.............

March 28, 2014

Bolt Action: Germany 'Heer Veteran Infantry Squads 1 & 2'

Since there was not much on TV to my liking last night, I was able to get both 5 man 'Heer Veteran Infantry Squads' completed from start to finish.

As I mentioned with the three 'Heer Infantry Squads' I painted this week, these two Veteran Squads will each receive an addition 5 men with assault rifles so they can be use in 'Late War'.  I just need to find the time this weekend to assemble all the assault rifles.  My new ZiS-3 for my Soviet army also came in yesterday, so the weekend may see that model being assembled.

I still have an 'Early War' Officer/Soldier that I can paint for the Germans along with a FOO/Spotter model.  Then the Stug III will get painted (most likely next weekend).

Germany: Heer Veteran Infantry Squad 01
Germany: Heer Veteran Infantry Squad 02
Painting Points: 10

March 27, 2014

Bolt Action: Germany 'Heer Infantry Squad 3'

The third 'Heer Infantry Squad' of three are now completed for my German army.  Up next I will be working on my two 5-men Veteran Sqauds, I am hoping to have them completed by Saturday (if not then on Saturday).

Good news for my 'Late War' models, my assault rifles finally came in yesterday from Warlord.  I had originally thought that I ordered 10 assault rifles, it turns out that I actually ordered 20 (better for the Germans).  So now my plan with these are, I will be assembling 2 each for my 'Heer Infantry Squads' so they will then become 'Heer Grenadier Squads' for 'Late War'.  Then I will assemble 10 additional men so I can add 5 each to my 'Veteran Squads'.  Well that still leaves me with 4, I will then make a 'Late War' Officer and Soldier with assault rifles.  This way I can have an 'Early War' and 'Late War' Officers.

It looks to be a pretty busy Spring, I have some more Soviet models coming in, then in late May my son will also be getting some more US models for his army.  Plus wrapping up the Germans.

So my next project after the Germans will more than likely be a Summer project.

Germany: Heer Infantry Squad 03
Germany: Heer Infantry Squad 03
Painting Points: 10

March 25, 2014

Bolt Action: Germany 'Heer Infantry Squad 2'

I was able to start/finish the second of third 'Heer Infantry Squads' for my German army last night.  Just like the first squad, these are modeled for 'Early War' (with ability to add assault rifles for 'Late War'.

The plan is to start on squad three tonight with the hopes of finishing them on Thursday night (real work tomorrow night will delay me a day).

Then on Friday night I would like to start on the two 5-men Veteran Squads.  We'll see how much actually gets done.... TV time always gets in the way.

Germany: Heer Infantry Squad 02
Germany: Heer Infantry Squad 02
Painting Points: 10

March 24, 2014

Daily Chronicle: 3/24/2014 'Poll: Which Bolt Action Army Should I Start Next?'

As I am now into painting our third army for Bolt Action (Germans), I need to start to plan/think ahead what army I want to do once I get the Germans done.  I will always be expanding my son's American army, and possibly my Soviets, but I've always loved to collect multiple armies and have a choice which army to play.

I am running a Poll for the next 30 days to help me decide which to start next.  On the right hand side of the page you will see the poll question.  Please vote and help me decide..... honestly I am leaning towards the British Airborne (with the possibility of expanding this army to be even larger than my Soviet army).  But let's see what my readers have to say.....

The selections I have included are:

British Airborne
Italians
French
Belgians
Royal Yugoslavia (I have always wanted to this army since my grandpa was a Major in this army and was captured by the Germans in April 1941.  Since there is no 'official list' for them, I would have to play them with either Greece or French rules, or right up my own 'house rules').

Bolt Action: Germany 'Heer Infantry Squad 1'

Yesterday I was able to get started on the first of three 'Heer Infantry Squads' for our Bolt Action German army.  I decided to model our German army for 'Early War', then as needed for 'Late War', I will swap out some riflemen with assault rifles.

I'll be starting with 3 Heer Infantry Squads with 10 men, and 2 Heer Veteran Infantry Squads with 5 men each.  Then as mentioned above, I'll be modeling 10 men with assault rifles that I can add as needed to above squads.

One thing that I am starting to do with the German army is to paint the eyes on all the infantry models.  Usually I paint the eyes on the NCO's (and let it be for the others), but since with the Germans I am going back and adding white to the collars after I do my 'wash', I figure it is only a few more seconds to also do the eyes.

Germany: Heer Infantry Squad 01
Germany: Heer Infantry Squad 01
Painting Points: 10

March 23, 2014

Battle Report: 3/22/2014 Bolt Action 'Soviet Union vs Germany'

Yesterday (Saturday 3/22/14) the German army decided to do a surprise attack against the Soviet Union.  Can the 'Red Army' hold off the powerful German army? Continue reading to find out.

Saturday 3/22/2014
Points: 1000
Scenario: Envelopment
Objective: The attacker must try and move as many of his units as he can into the defender's set-up zone or off the opposing side's table edge.
Armies: Defenders Soviet Union (Dean) vs Attackers Germany (Dragi)

Turn 1:
With 'Preparatory Bombardment' hitting the Soviet units, the Soviets spent most of the turn 'rallying' their units and removing pin markers.  Some of the Germans started to advance onto the table.

Turn 2:
The Soviet Sniper Team decided to take aim on the German Oberleutnant and took the kill shot to the head (that was about all the Soviet Sniper could kill in this battle).  The German and Soviet tanks were firing back and forth and neither of them could do any damage.

Turn 3:
The German Stug III tank 'fubars' and had to 'run' away from the Soviets.  The Soviet T34 tried to fire at the Stug and still could not do any damage.

Turn 4:
Germans outflanked with a Flamethrower Team to my right, but a Soviet SMG Squad sitting in 'ambush' were able to open fire on the Germans, killing both of the Germans.  The Soviet Free Rifle Squad outflanked on my left, right behind a German Infantry Squad.  The inexperienced soldiers were only able to kill one German.

Turn 5:
The Soviet T34, a Guards Squad and Free Rifle Squad managed to wipe out the German Infantry that was on my left.  In the middle of the table a Guards Squad assaulted one German Officer Soldier and easily won the battle and consolidated back into cover.  The Soviet Ampulet 'ambushes' on a German Infantry Squad and managed to kill three Germans.  For the Germans, their Sniper Team was able to kill the Soviet Sniper and the Soviet failed their tests and were removed from the battle.

Turn 6:
The Soviet Ampulet fires on the same German squad as in Turn 5 and manages to finish off that squad.  The Germans were able to get two Veteran Squads off the table edge from 'outflank' maneuvers, Soviets in 'ambush' could not stop them.  The German Stug III also was able to get a side shot on the Soviet T34 causing massive damage.  With the T34 being stunned and on fire, it fails it's tests and was knocked out.  The Soviets tried a Panzerfaust shot at the Stug III and failed to do any damage.

Turn 7:
The Soviets passed their morale test and assaulted the side of the German Stug III and only scored a 7 for damage (needing at least an 8).  The Soviets then concentrated their fire on the remaining two German units left on the table (Sniper Team and Veteran Squad).  None of the Soviet shots were able to do any damage.

The Attackers score 1 victory point for every enemy unit destroyed.  They also score 2 victory points for each of their own units inside the Defenders set-up area, and 3 victory points for units that have moved off the enemies table edge.  The Defenders score 2 victory points for every enemy unit destroyed.  If one side scores at least 2 more victory points than the other, then that side has won a clear victory, otherwise teh result is deemed too close to call and honors are shared - a draw.

Germany: 9
Soviet Union: 8
Draw

Soviet deployed.

Soviets deployed in cover and hidden.
Soviets deployed in cover and hidden.
Soviet Free Rifle Squad outflanking on the Germans.
German Stug III firing a side shot against the Soviet T34 and knocking it out.
German Veterans running of the table edge.
German Sniper Team getting a kill shot on the Soviet Sniper.
Soviets fire a Panzerfaust against the German Stug III and fail to do any real
damage.
German Veterans outflanking off the table edge.  Soviet ambush fails.
Soviet Ampulet firing against Germans and finishing the unit off.
Soviets assault the German Stug III and fail to do any damage.
The game is over.
The game is over.

Bolt Action: Germany 'Sniper Team & Flamethrower Team'

It was finally time to start on the German army for my son and I.  This is going to be an army they will share so we can do more Axis vs Allies battles.

I usually like to separate my posts for each units, but since I painted these models all together (like I did with the US), I just decided to combine them into one post.

Before painting these models I was contemplating on how I wanted to paint the uniforms.  Seeing how I was going to be using these models/army for Early and Late War, I was having a tough decision deciding.  After Googleing different paint schemes/colors, I decided to go with the 'German Fieldgrey' (Vallejo Model Color) for the tunic and trousers, and 'German Grey' for the helmets.  At first when I painted the Fieldgrey, I did not care for the color too much (looked too green to me), but now that the models are completed, it's coming around to me.

Germany: Sniper Team
Germany: Sniper Team
Germany: Flamethrower Team
Germany: Flamethrower Team

Painting Points: 4

March 22, 2014

Bolt Action: Soviet Union 'Submachine Gun Squad 1'

It was a pretty busy week this week with 'real' work so afterwards I just wanted to relax.  Plus this past Wednesday was my youngest sons birthday so we had to go out for dinner, but I was able to get a squad painted this week. 

I had 8 Soviet models left from my sprues and plenty of submachine guns left, so I though I would add the existing 3 SMG men that I have and make a full squad of 11.  I can then run them a separate squad, or use these SMG men as additions to my existing units.

Soviet Union: Submachine Gun Squad 01
Soviet Union: Submachine Gun Squad 01
Painting Points: 8

March 21, 2014

Bolt Action: New: Soviet Ampulomet, 50mm Mortar and Flamethrower teams

Warlord Games just released some new models for Bolt Action Soviet Union.  Looks like I will need to be adding these soon to my army.  I recently ordered the 'Assault Engineer Squad' so I can get a Flamethrower, but now that they released these in regular uniforms, I'll probably keep the one I have as the Squad and purchase the one below to run as 2 man Team.

Reinforce you Soviet forces with these new support teams – the Ampulomet, 50mm light mortar and Flamethrower teams.
Invented in the first desperate years after the German invasion of the Motherland, the Ampulomet was a simple homemade device that fired either a glass cylinder or tin can filled with incendiary chemicals. It was extensively used in the defence of both Leningrad and Stalingrad.
WGB-RI-38-Ampulomet-team-a WGB-RI-38-Ampulomet-team-b WGB-RI-38-Ampulomet-team-c WGB-RI-38-Ampulomet-team-d
 View in Store
Meanwhile the 50mm light mortar and Flamethrower teams allow you to deliver death at range as well as up close and personal. Za Stalina! Za Rodinu!
WGB-RI-39-Lt-Mortar-FT-teams-a WGB-RI-39-Lt-Mortar-FT-teams-b
View in Store

March 18, 2014

Bolt Action: United States 'Sniper Team'

After our game this past Sunday, I had my son cut up a 'Sniper Team' for his US army.  Seeing how he had extra models from his 'Rangers' box, this would be a good use for two of them.  Also since the 'Rangers' box came with a 'Flamethrower Team', I also had him get me these two models also.  I figure I might as well paint all four at the same time.

For the very first time with these four models, I painted the eyes after I applied the wash.  I really like the way they turned out and will more than likely continue to paint them this way (when I decide to do eyes on my models)......

United States: Sniper Team
United States: Sniper Team
Painting Points: 2
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