Spectre Miniatures - Special Operators.

When does everyone find time to paint their mini's?

Over recent weeks I have got into the habit of an hour before bed with a podcast or youtube channel for background noise. This one caught my eye of late 'Getting stuff done' - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3WA4igXEA1A

I suspect I am not alone in having a cupboard full of spare metal waiting to hit the table, so what can be achieved with some focus. The recent Africa game lead me to seek out a number of this left over projects.

These Spectre Miniature Models that had been hanging around for years.... I mean 10 years..... wow.

http://dusttears.blogspot.com/2014/12/spectre-miniatures-christmas-comes-early.html?m=0

These are great castings they really capture the feel of modern fighters the poses are very dynamic and the small arms to scale, I am thinking Private Military Contractors or Special Forces and the like. All it needed was a nudge to get them up the painting queue.

Its's good to be able to finally fill the last of the box with these, just need an excuse to get them on the table now.

Also the last of the African militia. - A General type perhaps looking back to his days at Sandhurst?

A pink haired fella - OK I was bored and he was the very last figure in the box. Who is going to be wandering around the African bush in a suit?

Next up more 10mm AWI and the last of the bare metal before the next purchase.

Return to Zikanga - Not quite operation Barras.

New Year and the prequel to a number of forthcoming linked scenario's.

Based loosely on Operation Barras: 2020

A patrol of 12 soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment and their Sierra Leone Army liaison officer were ambushed by the West Side Boys militia while traveling in Sierra Leone. The patrol was captured and taken to the West Side Boys' base in Gberi Bana

On 10 September 2000, a combined force of D Squadron, 22 Regiment Special Air Service (SAS), Special Boat Service (SBS), and 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1 PARA) launched an assault on the West Side Boys' base. The operation aimed to extract the hostages and neutralize the militia.

The rescue mission was successful, with all five British soldiers and their Sierra Leone Army liaison officer being freed. The operation resulted in the deaths of 25+ West Side Boys and the capture of 18 others. One British soldier was killed, and twelve were wounded.

In our scenario Zikangian regulars launch a divisionary attack on south of the village to draw out the militia men whilst waiting in the bush are 4 teams of special forces tasked with rescuing a team of UN observers who had been captured a few weeks earlier.

A large village in the middle of the table with several huts containing numerous militia men, trenches cover the river bank. At the rear of the village a lorry park of captured vehicles, together with a couple of armed technicals. 

At the far end of the table a small cluster of huts where the hostages were being held.

Dawn and the village was quiet with only one militia fire team awake, the village would spring to life once the firing starts.

The regulars push forward supported by an M113 clearing the first trench and drive into the centre of the village. Militia men pour out of the huts and fan out across the village. Slowly the regulars were forced back as casualties mounted no matter how many militia men they killed

To the north militia men grab there weapons and head to the main village.

With the firefight ongoing in the village many of the guards were stripped away from the compound, the special forces moved out from the bush. The specialists cleared the remaining militia men and secured the hostages. Too weak to move through the bush they needed to be escorted to the lorry park.

The militia men were forced to turn back to the counter the special forces stiffening their defences with a technical, for a moment it it's heavy machine gun put the rescue party under pressure. But some excellent shooting wrote off the red truck.

Superior training and some good fire and movement tactics allowed the specialists to make their way to the vehicles. 

The hostages were freed but with 5 elite special forces killed and the a section of regulars killed and being forced back from the village it was not the victory they had hoped for.

Across the boarder - Legs Akimbo fumed his plan was coming undone to raise his cause, now he would need to cross the border and come back to Zikanga.

Great fun and a great scene setter for future games.

Rebels & Patriots - Markers and British Light Infantry

The first off the painting table for 2025...

The British Light Infantry make an appearance.

Have decided on 4 figures to a base for line Infantry I needed something a little different for the lights to keep the uniformity of units on the table. Using Pill bases for skirmish troops, I opted for the square bases but dropped the figure count down to 3 and increased the bases to 4 for a unit to give coverage needed and slightly more spread out feel for skirmishers.

Not sure what's going on with the lighting, but the three extra units will be very useful for the march to Lexington in the coming months.

I do like the 10mm scale for the mass effect on the table, but on occasion my eye sight can let me down.... hidden amongst this little lot is a trumpeter who is facing backwards - how did I miss that when I stuck him on the base - I just will have to style it out :-)

I was toying with some additional disruption markers for the game, having picked up the Warbases tailored counters, they work fine for 28mm games but are a little overpowering in 10mm.

Chatting on the Facebook group about suitable alternatives cannonballs and flags were mentioned as disruption markers, these will be complimentary to the casualty markers and not be to over powering on the table.

The flags are from Maverick Models who do a great selection for the American Revolution across a range of scales, worth checking them out, ball bearings are from a Christmas cracker game which I had to break open.

 12 Markers should give me enough for a game.

These look a little better on the table and more subtle in games.

The units down in the first week and good progress on some of the other projects. Now to get these on the table top.

Dispatched from the Front XXXIV - Twixmas Projects

I do enjoy the post Christmas lull, a couple of days down time and if I am lucky some painting time.

The last few months have been have been rather hectic with very little gaming and painting time, hopefully the next couple of days will give me the opportunity of kickstarting plans for 2025 and catch back up on several of the remaining projects from this year. I managed to get some undercoating done before the mist and cold set in.

With the 250th Anniversary of Lexington & Concorde approaching in April this gives me a focus to get the rest of the 10mm off the paint table and on to the gaming table. The AWI British Light Infantry and American militia have been hanging around for months having been side-lined by the Crusader project for the Cotswold day.

Then it's back more Crusades with still a whole bunch of Arab Cavalry and Christian foot to get through.

The family have been very generous, with some wants and some nice to have, although internally I did look at the boxes and think that's a lot of gluing and so many varied projects.

In no particular order - Russians for the Russo Japanese War, the Wargames Atlantic plastics will give a real boost for the Russian forces, the project might be getting a little too large for Sharp Practice so I might need to think about a new rule set?

Then there is the additional Sergeants for the Crusaders, I was hanging on for the release of the Baron's War plastics but the Fireforge sergeants will be just as good, the pack is really good value for money enough to give me 2 heavy spear units, a warrior unit and crossbow unit especially given how much cavalry is fielded against them.

A lovely kit from Rubicon and some much needed transport for the Africa Korps 88mm - which has been lacking game time.

If I can get through that little lot, then towards the spring.... Aztecs 

I have a whole bunch of Spanish who spend more time fighting the undead than anyone else, having sold off my Irish for the Plantation of Ireland, they need a new opponent. I blame Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.

The Rest Is History | 384. The Fall of the Aztecs: The Adventure Begins (Part 1)

It should not be too much of a stretch to get these on the game table and the positive no cavalry to do.

Then.......Orc's nope no idea what I am going to do with these.... perhaps a tweak to the Excalibur project having read a little of Geoffrey of Monmouth's history of Briton could these be Ogres from the realm of Logres and followers of the god Orcus..... that sounds like it work..... (Blimey another rabbit hole..)

Right best get on.... this lot won't paint it self.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone.

I do miss an annual not sure you would get away with the 'For Boys' piece today.

I hope you all has some goodies under the tree.

Have a great Christmas everyone.

Christmas in the old west. - Dead Mans Hand

The pre-Christmas bash at the Wyre Forest club and a suitable festive affair as the Cinderella Cattle Company once again take to table top looking to spread some festive cheer with the barrel of six shooter.

The town of Santa's Gulch and 5 gangs are on the hunt for treasure, spread across the table are 8 barrels, the content of each have to be taken to one of the buildings on the table for a cash reward.

The challenge for each player is to find the barrel that fits the location, find the bible and drop it back at the church and the reward is $100, the razor to the barber for $25 and so on and so on.

With players coming on from all angles it was not long until the lead started flying. The Mexican's took an early lead grabbing a barrel from the hangman's platform, but the look on the face of the leader suggested it was not the prize he wanted.

Confusion in the stable as the barrels are mixed up and carrots for Midnight the best horse in town turns out to be fresh linen for the hotel.

Meanwhile my Cinderella men were making hard work of getting the bible back to the church despite the fact that they were a few feet away, barrels had to be rolled through the door and this was covered by a hotel full of angry Mexicans.

Grabbing a hostage the Cowboys moved out into the street as the gang made a run for the church door. The hotel guests took down to of the gang before one of the guys from south of the border fell out of the window as he got to his feet the Cattlemen put him out of action (the card features in Dead Man's Hands have some great touches).

With a number of gangs seeing their morale crumble it became a race for the final barrel and the cash prize. The keys to the jail and the $100 on offer. One Gang rushed for the barrel only to be blasted by a shotgun in the back.... Merry Christmas.....

In what some might say is a slight of hand the outlaws pull 3 aces giving them the initiative for the turn.

Sneaking round the corner, the Outlaws bumped into Jeff Lebar from the Cinderella ranch who was making a run for the barrel only for poor old Jeff to be gunned down. 

Just as it looked like the outlaws had won, the gang failed it's morale and decided their own skins were better than the money on the table.... Giving Howard of the Sackmen the win....

Great fun.... some lucky shots and sneaky play but nice to get the boys on the table for an outing and a great way to finish the last club of the year. 

Welcome to the Jungle.

Somewhat behind on posts of late.

The UK weather and the Christmas take over of my gaming space has slowed the production line, the Christmas elves have filled the garage with decorations and storage boxes, no sneaking off for a few hours gaming for at least a month.

I will have to content myself with prep for future projects and the growing pile of bare metal, not helped by guys at the club constantly coming up with new temptations to distract me.

Modern Africa looks to be back on the agenda for next year, with ideas floating around for Somalia through to the Congo or UN operations against the various warlords or factions across several states in the mid 90's.

I still had some Africa militia types tucked away and this was just the nudge to get them table top ready. I opted for a more formal uniform for these types to represent government or paramilitary types.

Figures are a mixture of Spectre miniatures, Gripping Beast & the Assault Group, making for an eclectic group of fighters.

The last remaining metal is a group of 'operators' - Special forces or PMC's.... which could be quite useful in future games.

Hopefully back in the swing of things in the next couple of weeks.