Scatter Terrain II

I got in from school today and finished the second batch of terrain. It's my first time with rubberised horse hair. Wow! It is SO easy to use and I think it looks very effective too. Sorry Last Valley but I don't think I need you any more...

Some shrubbery with palms or rocks.

Just shrubs.

Everything so far this week. Four evenings work.

Super macro!

I'll be doing more when I can get hold of the MDF cut outs. In the mean time I'm off up the woods with my secateurs to collect the raw materials for some nice new trees. Hopefully I'll be using my own cold dyed flock to make them.

Saga Dark Age action at the club tonight which means I'll have a back log of FIVE (!) Club Nights to post as well as the latest Mbogo progress. Soon...

Scatter Terrain

I have shamelessly neglected my blog this last month or so but now I'm back with a vengeance and a backlog of stuff to post...

A year or so ago at a show I picked up a bunch of laser cut MDF 'shapes' intending to produce some scatter terrain for placing on larger templates and I finally got around to starting (and finishing) the first batch this week.

They'll be used to represent terrain in the Mexican-American War, Spanish Civil War and Mbogo. Not all of them will work for all three theatres. The Sudan is possible in the future and western gunfight / Cavalry and Indians too maybe...

First up, the least useful items, patches of saguaro cactus. I'll use these pieces for Mexico and ignore the fact that saguaro would only have featured in the California campaign which I'm not going to cover...

 

Next up, rock formations and a welcome oasis.

 

 

Finally, some long grass ready for Palo Alto.

 

I've nearly finished batch two; scrub and brush / mimosa. I've used rubberised horse hair for the first time. Fingers crossed, more MDF is on the way for batch three.

 

Spanish Houses Project III

Yay! The first four buildings are finished; filler on the bases, a slap of paint, some tufts, some static grass and some clump foliage. Voila! They've probably cost me about £1.50.

I think next up will be another batch of Spanish style buildings and then I'm going to go all adobe.

Spanish Houses Project II

I managed to move this project on a little further today; corrugated paper roofs and quick paintjobs.

Basing and fancy detailing tomorrow to finish...

Spanish Houses Project

I'd been doing a little every now and again on my 15mm SCW stuff (I really ought to post a few photos to show where I'm at) and I was conscious of the fact that I don't have any suitable 'Spanish' buildings. I always planned I'd buy some but a trip to 'The Range' has changed that...

I came back with 5 A4 sheets of white 5mm foamboard and a new project was born. I need 15mm buildings that I can use for SCW, Mexican-American War and modern skirmishes in Central America. So pretty generic white buildings with terracotta pantiles it is then.

Everything so far is cut from just one of my 5 sheets.

 

 

I nearly forgot the chimneys; I found some inspiration for them on the Empress Miniatures site, "Rustic Chimneys". I just need to stick on the corrugated paper to represent the pantiles and then I can paint and base them.

New Spanish Civil War Project

Back in the 90's I had an urge to wargame the Spanish Civil War and so a lot of 15mm Peter Pig SCW figures were duly purchased. I based the few that I managed to paint for use with GDW's 'Command Decision', played a couple of games and put them away. A few years later I bought Peter Pig's 'Bayonets and Ideology' as well as the extra figures for two legal lists. I didn't paint any and put them away again.

A few years later still I purchased SMP's 'Blitzkrieg Commander' and though I noticed the SCW lists I only dabbled in 1/300 World War 2. Now that I've moved on to 2nd edition, it seems I'm finally geared up for a return to 1930's Spain.

Last Thursday I based up two Popular Army battalions for the Republicans. The 4 figure Infantry stands are on 50 x 25 mm bases, HQ's on 40 x 40 mm and the CO is on a 50 x 50 mm base.

Organisation:

CO
2 Battalions, each;
HQ
9 Infantry Stands
2 HMG Stands

I painted one of the battalions on Friday and textured the bases on Saturday and that's pretty much it so far except that I couldn't resist the urge to finish just one base to see how it would look. So I am able to present the HQ fron the 1st Battalion...

Viva Firenza!

(A tribute to 70's Vauxhall motoring?)

Introduction

A fictitious scenario set somewhere in Spain, sometime in 1936. Statistics and OOB's were originally given for 'Command Decision' but the table format doesn't seem to suit Blogger. (They were taken from Command Post Quarterly, No.7. Back issues are available from GDW. Anyone who games the SCW must get No.'s 7 and 8, they're the bee’s knees). The game works with just two people but one of them, (you?) will have to take the role of Umpire/Game Master. The other player should read no further.

Background

A body of rag-tag Rebublican Militia are preparing to defend their village against an advancing Nationalist column containing troops from the Army of Africa. Deploying on the Southern outskirts of the village the Militia watch the Nationalists advance in seemingly overwhelming numbers but then there is an unexpected arrival...
A motorised battalion of Regular Army types have arrived just in time. The Colonel in command insists that the Militia allow his men to deploy in the Fortified Villa cum Mansion, otherwise he'll be on his way again. Colonel Gros Punto has a secret agenda. As soon as the last Militia troops are out of the Villa his men will start to empty it of the many art treasures within. It will take 5 turns to load the wagons and then he will be on his way, leaving Dorado and his Militia to their fate.

Republican Briefing and Forces

You are Fernando Dorado, son of the former Mayor of what is now the Collective of Firenza. Over the last month you have organised the formation of a column of local Militia (the Dorado Column) and you were about ready to march to lend a hand in the Battle of Madrid. However, events have overtaken you and now you and your Militia will gain their first experience of war defending their own village.

You command the following forces;

Headquarters, with;
1 command infantry stand
6 Centuries, each with;
3 infantry stands
1 MG company, with;
1 MMG stand

Republican Reinforcements - Umpire controlled

Colonel Frederigo Gros Punto commands the following forces;

Headquarters Company, with;
1 command infantry stand
1 truck
3 wagons (empty) (M)
1 support stand
4 Infantry Companies, each with;
2 infantry stands
1 truck
1 MG company, with;
2 MMG stands

When the Republican reinforcements arrive the Militia player should be handed a card on which is written;
"A motorised Regular Army battalion under the command of a Colonel has arrived to support you. He has no jurisdiction over your Militia so you will fight as two separate commands. He insists that if he is to stay then his men alone should defend the Villa; you must redeploy your Militia or he will leave."

Nationalist Briefing and Forces - Umpire controlled

You are Brigadier General Juan San Martin, commander of the El Gato column of the Army of Africa. Your objectives are simple - roll North as fast as you can, destroy all resistance. More immediately, you are to capture the village of Firenza.

You command the following forces;

Column Headquarters, with;
1 command stand
1 car

Foreign Legion Bandera, with;
Headquarters Company, with;
1 command stand
1 recon infantry stand
3 Infantry Companies, each with;
1 command infantry stand
2 infantry stands
1 MG Company, with;
3 MMG stands.

Moroccan Tabor, with;
Headquarters Company, with;
1 command infantry stand
1 MMG stand
2 Infantry Companies, each with;
1 command infantry stand
1 recon infantry stand
1 infantry stand

Game Play and Map

1. The Militia deploy first (N of C-D), then the Nationalists (S of A-B). The Villa counts as 3 stone buildings for deployment purposes.
2. Game commences.
3. On Turn 1 the Republican reinforcements arrive. The Militia player should be handed a card as detailed above.
4. 5 turns after entering the Villa, the reinforcements pull out again as fast as they can.
5. The Militia take what's coming...

Victory

Obviously the Umpire can't win or lose in the traditional sense. The Militia could be massacred and still be said to have done well.
After the game there should be a form of debriefing where the Umpire comments on the other player's performance. Particular attention should be given to how well the player handled having to redeploy twice in the face of the enemy.