Chain of Command goes East - Far East.

After the recent spate of Chain of Comand games, I thought I would convert my existing collection of US Marines and Japanese to CoC, the good news is that I am only a few figures away from the right level of troops for the various fire teams and sections.

A recent trip to Warfare and the Warlord stand and I am now the proud owner of the two missing junior leaders and Artillery observer, great castings and a really good fit compared to the existing collection from Westwind, Battlehonours and Brigade.

With Chain of Command in mind I also picked up the casaulty pack, which I thought would make excellent shock markers.

As with many projects somewhere in lead mountain I had kept several extra's from a westwind order, which at the time were put into storage as painting the dead and the injured seemed a worthless exercise, however now with Chain of Command they suddenly became important and made it to the summit of lead mountain.

Red dice for the Marines.

Yellow dice for the Japanese.
The circular bases are from the guys at Warbases and the dice frames from Minibits.

There should be more than enough here for typical platoon games and it's utilises some of the extra's that have been languishing in the painting draw for several years.

War on the Eastern Front - Campaign Game 2

Having played out the opening salvo of the Eastern Front Campaign last week, time to up the anti.

I picked up a copy of "At the Sharp End" the Too Fat Lardies Campaign suppliment, this should add a little colour to the games, The setting is Koslin in early 1945.

The Russians have captured Bublitz and after a few days of build up are on the move again, looking to break thin German defences. Following the Ladder Campaign structure and having won the initial Patrol Game, we pushed on to Scenario 2 - "The Probe"

After the narrowest of victories last week, we moved north towards the village of Goldbeck, the Panzer Grenadiers had pulled back but were still strong in number they were sure to be blocking the highway, the most logical of stop gaps before Goldbeck.

Having experienced the amount of fire the Germans can lay down with their MG34's I opted to push through the Orchard on the left flank having managed to secure a Jump off point very close to the German base line.

The Germans once again deployed early occupying the brick built houses over looking the road, but I am confident we can break them having drafted an additional section into my platoon for this operation.

I decide to lead my comrades in person, sending two sections through the wood, killing many of the German defenders and pinning the remainder. Confidence was high.

We pressed on but the Germans were tougher than we first thought, they had entrenchments and were greater in number than our scouts had reported.

I ordered the men back deeper into the orchard, to tend to our wounded, victory had been so close.

With my troops broken and running for cover on the left flank, I saw a chance to still win this encounter and break through the German lines, I sent 3rd section off on wide flanking move.

The Facists can only summon a solitary team to block our path, we can still be victorious.

However luck was not on our side, the Germans rolled 6's and gained two turns they rush troops from the centre and flank my section, MG34's ripped through my men who took to their heels.

My force morale is shattered -3 to the Germans 9.

Defeat...

We fall back towards Bublitz my men's opinion of me is not great (German -2, Russian -3) and my force's morale is now -1 for all future operations, speaking with my commander he is far from happy but has given me a chance to redeem myself in the next encounter (Russian -1, German +2) whilst my German counter part is likely to receive both reinforcements and extra supports if things continue.

I will also have to make do with 6 men fewer... War in the East is tough.

Lights, Camera, Action.

Who said men can't multi-task???
Whilst the paint table is now covered with 15mm Russian Infantry and Armour I did make some in roads into the "left overs".

I am pretty sure these are from EM4 Miniatures?

The cameraman will be useful for the Zikanga campaign and  the militia woman...... well you can't have enough milita can you...

The last of the unpainted moderns - Just before Spectre's kickstarters arrive.

Sniper !!!!

Well so much for clearing the back log...
A couple of great Chain of Command games and next thing you know something else creeps to the top of the painting list.

What Russian force would be complete with a couple of snipers for picking off officers and keeping the invaders heads down.

 

The now customary shock markers, dead Russians from Peter Pig, to think I am now going out of my way to find dead and dying figures, when in the past I questioned why these pointless figures appeared in blister packs of old.

I really must try and focus on the items already prepared for painting, as usual so many projects so little time.

The bloody ridge.......

I must admit I did feel a little bit guilty...
A fantastic table to fight over and we spend the night fitting over a single ridge line 1 foot square....

Wednesday night saw the opening moves in our Late War Campaign based around Zhukov's push over the Oder in early 1945, the temptation was to go for massed armour, but we held back and kicked off with  with a Patrol game using the Too Fat Lardies Chain of Command rules.

The Russian's benefited from extra support options as they were facing off against a platoon of Regular Panzer Grenadiers..... who are tooled up with numerous MG34's....
I picked flame throwers.....

Worried by the volume of fire the German sections can throw out and my lack of fire teams, I pushed my patrol markers out wide hoping to isolate the German left flank and break their morale early.

That failed - the PZ Grenadiers secured the main buildings over looking the road and two of my 3 jump off points before I was able to deploy any figures on the table, as they were on overwatch I knew I would be facing casualties before I even fired a shot in anger.

With only one jump off point not under observation of German LMG's I cross the road hoping to out flank the German defenders, if I could get lucky on the dice and end the turn, I might have a chance to supress the defenders, however my German opponent countered this move by rushing to block my flanking move.

Boredom set in, I was not coming over the ridge and refused to deploy from the other jump off points giving the Germans nothing to shoot at, so over the ridge they poured.

Only to be sent packing by the combined fire of two sections and a sniper - The German force morale slowly crept down, broken fire teams routed and headed back to the twon their wounded leaders in tow.

Feeling rather cocky I pushed beyond the ridge hoping to exploit the heavily shocked German defenders, but two rounds of double 6's saw the Germans pepper the advancing Soviets and I was forced to regroup beyound the ridge.

And so it continued for another 2 hours, the Germans pushed up hoping to break the slowly recovering Russian sections, the Russians got their heads shot off every time they stuck their heads over the ridge line. A late rush by the German defenders to seize a Russian Jump off point was countered by a Flamethrower ambush.....

I really wished I had taken the mortar support option, a little smoke would have freed up my movement considerably.....

So victory to the Russians by a single force morale point, but hardly the push for the Oder....

Round 2 - Next week.

Too Fat Lardies - Chain of Command - Soviet Platoon.

It's amazing what a little bit inspiration can do to spur you on.
Back in September last year, I reorganised my Late War Germans for Chain of Command, I had every intention of revisting the Soviets which were at that stage a section strong, but simply ran out of time or more likely another distraction came along.

However one bookshop, several fellow gamers blogs later and the Russians are well on there way.

As mentioned in a previous posting several years ago I took part in a rather enjoyable campaign using Rapid Fire about the crossing of the Oder and the Seelow Heights, like many campaigns it never did reach a conclusion before players moved away or the gaps between games becames months and then stopped.

Maybe this time it would be different.....

In the past week with a new found vigour I have managed to complete a fair amount, a platoon and several of the potential support elements within Chain of Command for the Soviets.

Unfortunately the figures were based and undercoated on three to a base and the ankles to weak to successfully remove all of the figures without a significant number of casualties. So the sections will just have to benefit from a few extra reinforcements.
Junior leaders are based on 1 pence pieces, senior leaders on 2 pences.

First section ready for battle, I have gone for a similar basing to the late war Germans, with mud and apartial snow covering, which should allow them to mix on most tables given the terrain that we have available at the Wyvern wargames club.
I am not quite ready for a full winter table - yet....

Two flame thrower teams, ready to break the will of the German defenders, the double shock inflicted will always come in handy.

 

Two AT guns from the plastic soldier company, not sure what they will do to a Tiger II, but these have been sitting unpainted since donated by a good friend of mine some 12 months back, great to finally get them completed.

50mm Mortar team and HMG team, whilst within the rules they come with a number of other figures in a section, but two figures to a base is fine for gaming purposes.

A scout platoon or tank riders, these need expanding to include leaders and support weapons, but will do for starters and the winter smocks make a difference to the rest of the Soviets in overcoats.

With Reading only a week away - the shopping list now looks like a Red Square parade with T34/85's and perhaps a couple of JSII's for good measure.

I used the following paint scheme for those interested.
Russian Uniform - Val 924 Russian Uniform + Light Dry Brush.
Helmet - Val 890 Reflective Green
Webbing - Val 825 Cam Pale Brown.
Rifle - Foundry - Tan
Rifle Strap - Foundry Spearshaft 13B
Bayonet - GW Bolt Gun Metal
Flesh - GW Elf Flesh
Blanket - Foundry 12B Drab

Berlin - The Downfall - Antony Beevor.

One minute your ducking into a bookshop to avoid Christmas shopping, next thing you know you are rummaging through the various boxes and cupboards in the man cave for the next new project or should I say previously unfinished project.

I picked up a second hand copy of Berlin by Antony Beevor, it tells the story of the Soviet offensive on Berlin in the closing months of the war, it was perhaps the bloodiest of the entire war in europe, dwarfing those on the Western Front, the book gives a broad narrative of the "armies" movements backed by numerous personnel experiences. The atrocities by the advancing Red Army and similarly the German defenders on the people of Poland and Eastern German is a harrowing read at times and gives an insight into the mindset that is modern Russia.

It reminded me of a campaign that I took part in with my old gaming club back in the 90's which saw rag tag kampf groups hold the River Oder against the Russian steam roller, this is crying out to be reimagined using the excellent Chain of Command rules - Bad news for me with Warfare only a week away.

Digging through the storage boxes I should have enough to pull together forces for the Russian juggernaut, with only a few 'extra's' needed to top up the Russian formations and support options.

Good job some of the Russians are already on the paint table.

OPERATION KILL COBRA - Zikanga Campaign AAR #4

Sunday @ the Wyverns - Just another day in Zikanga.

Scenario
The UN had regrouped and had been reinforced, after the ambush a few hours earlier they had to get back into the village of Bucula, fortunately the contractors had gone to ground and there was no suggestion that they had been captured - Yet.

Regular Mission Objective

The UN must locate the contractors and escort them off the south or west table edge. The contractors are lightly wounded and are low on ammunition, find the cobra contractors and get them off the table.
It is important to keep UN losses to a minimum!

Militia Mission Objective

Kill the contractors.
They are holed up somewhere in the village get to them before the UN do.

Reinforced with a second squad, the UN advance with purpose into the village, moving house to house in the hunt for the operatives.

 

The Militia enter from 3 entry points, also moving from house to house in the hunt for Cobra.

"Gotcha" the last house in the village and the cobra contractors are found, they open up killing two of their attackers, but the militia numbers are to great and they go down in a hail of gunfire and the swing of machetes.

The UN engage a party of militia as they attempt to flank the assault teams.

With the Cobra members killed and the UN under pressure from all sides they are left with no choice but to fall back once again from Bucula.

Not quiet what I had in mind, the Cobra members suffered from some terrible dice and the militia passed almost every morale test.... still the fight for Zikanga must go on.

Played using Chris Peers - At Close Quarters rules.

The race is on...... End of year count down....

Back in August I set myself the challange of clearing the "odds & sods" that I had built up over the years, whilst I did not achieve the required results it did focus the mind and has allowed me to back fill several projects.

With plans a foot for next year, I really need to focus on clearing several of the items languishing on the paint table.

• A couple of shock markers for the US Marines for Chain of Command, a Senior and Junior Leader for the Marine Corps.
• A member of the Press Corp for modern day Africa.
• Senior and Junior Leader for converting my late war Russians to Chain of Command.
• 2 AT Guns for the Russians as support options.
• A Tudor Artillery piece for the Elizabethan Wars.
• Women, Children, Engineers and a surgeon for Ireland.

Right, that's reminded me how much I've got to do, I must get back to the painting table.

Jump off Points - Pinned Markers.

After the recent game using Chris Peers - At Close Quarter rules it became obvious that the pinned dice needed a home.

Having a clear out at the weekend I came across some resin village litter from the now defunct Snapdragon (Damn shame some great buildings...) these combined with some Warbases 30mm circular bases which I ordered by mistake as they were to deep would be perfect for Chain of Command, Jump off Points or pin markers.

Just in time for Part 2 of Contracting Trouble.....