Battlefront's World War I British

Also on the preview this morning is the British Great War boxed set.  Called Mitchell's Marauders (GBRAB1), the box includes enough to get you started with your World War I British Army.  Similar to the German boxed set, you bet a command group, two infantry platoons, a machine gun platoon, an artillery detachment, and armored support.  In this case, the armored support consists of two Mark IV tanks and one Whippet.  Previous reviews have shown that the Mark IV tanks include magnets in the sponsons allowing  you to change from the "male" to "female" variants from game to game.  Personally, I think that's brilliant!

I've never done a British Army for Flames of War - for any period.  The closest I've come is some tentative work on a 506 PIR in Market Garden with some British support, but that army is languishing in the queue behind many other projects.  This is different - I've always loved the very early tanks pioneered by the British, and this neat little set is likely enough to get me to take the plunge.  I'm going to have to win the lottery to have the TIME to paint all of the items in my queue!!!

Flames of War - BARBAROSSA!!!

If there is one supplement Flames of War players have been clamoring for, it's one covering Operation Barbarossa - Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.  The Early War period for Flames of War is a relative newcomer to the game, and Battlefront has taken a fairly "slow and steady" approach to the era. While the inclusion of the Japanese in the EW period was a nice surprise from Battlefront, many would have preferred to see Barbarossa.

Discussions on the Battlefront forum indicated that the release of Barbarossa would happen this year, and today a digital version of the sales flier for Barbarossa has cropped up on the internet.

With an October release date, we only have a few months to wait before the primary releases for Early War will finally be complete allowing coverage of the entire 1939-1941 period in Flames of War.  The Soviet T-34 tank is highlighted in the flier, and it should be a real beast on an early war table.  If the KV is included as well, that would be an even tougher nut to crack!

I'm really looking forward to the release of Barbarossa - the 1941 Soviet army has always held a lot of interest for me as you had the very forward looking T-34 and KV tanks serving alongside the T-35, T-28, T-26 and a host of other interesting designs.  Hopefully I'll be through most of my painting queue before then!

Flames of War - Tanksgiving List Ideas

The problem I've run in to working with Battlefront is that they're at the point in the war for the Germans that I've wanted to build lists for since I got into the game.  The VERY late war stuff.  Factory fresh panzers with elaborate paint jobs running alongside horse drawn wagons and trucks converted to run on burning wood! My next big late war tournament isn't until November, and it's a 1650 point "Tanksgiving" event.  At this point I have three lists under consideration.  All of the lists meet my criteria for "cool" (in other words, they're historically accurate and have something "cool" about the unit - be that history, paint jobs, performance in combat, or all of the above).  So here are my thoughts...

First, 1/512 Schwere Panzerjägerkompanie - Ruhr Pocket - April, 1945 - this is a CV Kampfgruppe Ernst list

HQ - 1X Jagdtiger (395)
Platoon 1:  1X Jagdtiger (395)
Platoon 2:  4X Panzer IV J (350)
Weapons 1:  3X Ostwind (350)

Support 1:  Volkssturm Platoon - Command Pzfst Rifle + 8X Pzfst Rifle (105)
Support 2:  Volkssturm Platoon - Command Pzfst Rifle + 6X Pzfst Rifle (85)
Support 3:  Volks Rocket Launcher Battery - Command SMG team, 2X Observer, 6X 15cm NW41 (135)

This list doesn't have a lot of hulls, but it is one of my favorite units.  The Volkssturm units are good in making sure that you get a lot on the table in a reserve mission, and there's enough smoke to go around.

Next up is a Panzer Company from Desperate Measures. The force is based on Panzer-Abteilung 5 while attached to 25. Panzer-Grenadier Regiment. So here's what I have at this point.
   
I'm running them as a Veteran Division because, well, they were...
   
HQ - 1X Panther G (190)
Troop 1 - 2X Panther G (375)
Troop 2 - 4X Hetzer (340)
Weapons 1 - Panzer AA - 3X Möbelwagen (165)
Support 1 - Recon - 3X Aufklärer 38(t) (110)
Support 2 - Infantry - Panzersturm Platoon with 6X panzerfaust AR teams (320)
Support 3 - Artillery - 4X 15cm NW41 Launchers, observers, command, halftracks (150)
   
Total: 1650 on the nose

Again, not a lot of hulls here for a large list, and they're somewhat fragile.  Panthers have been a tough sell in the benefit/points ratio since the Allied high-AT assets started showing up.

Finally - here are a couple of options for 510 Schwere Panzer Abteilung.  This unit had some spectacularly painted King Tigers - a real mix of styles that lets me field just a little bit of everything, including a couple of nearly overall Primer Red ones!  I've included a couple of options.
 
 Here's what I'm working with at this point:
 
 HQ - 1X King Tiger (215)
 Platoon 1:  2X King Tiger (430)
 Platoon 2:  2X King Tiger (430)
 
 Support 1:  Ersatz SS-Aufklärungs Platoon - command Pzfst SMG + 6X Pzfst Rifle/MG (200)
 Support 2:  Ersatz SS-Panzer Platoon - Panzer IV (Schurtzen) - 2X Panzer III M (Schurtzen) - 1X Panzer III - (230)
 Support 3:  Light AA Battery - Command SMG team - 4X 2cm Flakvierling 38 (75)
 Support 4:  Volks Rocket Launcher Battery - Command SMG team, Observer, 3X 15cm NW41 (70)
 
 Total:  1650 on the nose
 
 Upside - a lot of hulls with lots of armor and high AT - and some support tanks to keep everyone honest.  Strong AA defense.  Smoke.  One good infantry platoon to hold key objectives.
 
 Downside:  Whole list is trained, most of it is reluctant, half of it is Allied
 
 Intangible:  List is an absolutely prototypical end of the war/last stand sort of list - and is pretty much dead accurate to what was in the field...
 
 
 Option 2:
 
 HQ - 1X King Tiger (215)
 Platoon 1:  2X King Tiger (430)
 Platoon 2:  2X King Tiger (430)
 Platoon 3:  Schwere Panzer Crew Platoon - Command Pzfst Rifle + 6X Pzfst Rifle (110)
 
 Support 1:  Volkssturm Platoon - Command Pzfst Rifle + 8X Pzfst Rifle (105)
 Support 2:  Ersatz SS-Panzer Platoon - Panzer IV + 3X Panzer III M (215)
 Support 3:  Light AA Battery - Command SMG team - 4X 2cm Flakvierling 38 (75)
 Support 4:  Volks Rocket Launcher Battery - Command SMG team, Observer, 3X 15cm NW41 (70)
 
 Total:  1650 on the nose... again...
 
 Upside - a lot of hulls with lots of armor and high AT - and some support tanks to keep everyone honest.  Strong AA defense.  Smoke.  Two infantry platoons to hold the objectives - and the Volkssturm are always going to be there regardless of mission - which helps in reserve scenarios.
 
 Downside:  Still a lot of Allied platoons, but this adds one more organic platoon.  Still a lot of trained, and the infantry units will be easier to break individually than the Ersatz SS unit because of their lower motivation and lack of "enjoy the war" rule.
 
 Intangible:  List is still absolutely prototypical end of the war/last stand sort of list - and is pretty much dead accurate to what was in the field.

From a "tourney standpoint" I think the 510 list is probably the strongest.  You get five King Tigers, and that's only a little over half of your points!!!!  All of them will look fairly awesome on the table, though.  Post thoughts in the comments!

Great War Arrives!

My issue of Wargames Illustrated 322 finally arrived today with the inclusion of the Great War supplement for Flames of War, though oddly the preview isn't yet up on the Battlefront Website or the Wargames Illustrated website.  Overall the armies look like they'll be fun, and I'm very excited about the upcoming terrain.  I was a contributing author for this one, so I've been chomping at the bit for months for this to come out.  The magazine itself also has several gems including several articles covering the Great War.

Page 4 has details of the upcoming releases - which as mentioned in previous blog entries are drool worthy. These include a German battle box, a British battle box, as well as supporting blisters for additional units. World War I terrain is also included.

Page 10 features an article by Phil Yates entitled "Mythbusting the Great War" which goes through many of the common misconceptions about World War I and provides a healthy dose of reality.  Many of the objections I've seen raised about attempting to war-game World War I relate directly to current perception of how that conflict was conducted, and many of those perceptions are at least partly erroneous.

Mike Haught continues in the same theme with an article on page 24 entitled "Wargaming Myths of the Great War."  This article discusses how Battlefront worked to maintain accuracy and balance in the Great War supplement, and why the release may not be what many people expect.

On page 44 is an article by your's truly entitled "Iron Fortresses - British and German Tanks of WWI" which details the technical and operational history of the vehicles you can field in the Great War supplement - namely the Mark IV, the Whippet, and the A7V.  Less well-studied than their more glamorous World War II counterparts, there are numerous misconceptions about these beasts and how they were actually employed in World War I.

Mike Haught picks up the torch again on page 58 with the article "Over the Top - Using Normal Flames of War Missions in the Great War".  One of the key innovations of the Great War supplement is a series of semi-linked missions which are suitable for the forces provided in the supplement, but who really wants to stop there!?!  This article provides updates to some standard missions to give the player more range and options.

As always the presentation of the magazine and Great War rule set is slick and extremely professional!  I've just received my Ammo of MIG paints for World War I tanks in the mail - now I can't wait for the miniatures to be released!  Finally to celebrate the release of the newest period for Flames of War, I'll leave you with this funny dedicated to all of the guys who lived through the 80's!

New AMMO Wargamer Colors

I love Mig Jimenez - I really do... and I only say that through slightly clinched teeth at this point.  No sooner do I get the basecoats done on my 1945 Jagdtigers and Ostwinds than the AMMO line releases four paint sets specifically designed for the wargamer.  These sets allow for a modulated base coat with an overspray of the disruptive camouflage colors.

The Wargame 1945 Late German Set (A.MIG-7118) includes colors for a base green with the characteristic late red-brown and light dunkelgelb colors.  Front and center on the examples is a Jagdtiger that looks conspicuously similar to a Battlefront one... painted in a scheme very similar to what I was going for (though I wasn't going to use the ambush dots as the photos I have don't seem to show them).  Now I'm in a quandry - to repaint, or not to repaint...

The new releases also include three other sets, an Early and DAK Set (A.MIG-7116), a German 1943-45 Set (A.MIG-7117), and a U.S. Armor Set (A.MIG-7119).  Needless to say, I've ordered several at this point.  Now do I take the plunge and get that high-end airbrush I've been drooling over.  My poor bank account!

1/512 Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf J Progress

Roughly in parallel with the work on the Jagdtigers and Ostwind from 1/512 Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung I have been working on the unit’s Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf J.  These are the ones you’ve seen in previous blog entries where I have gone through and updated both the hull and the running gear of the Ausf. J to accurize it.  Now that they are all together I’ve started the painting process.

I’m also using a late war scheme from the AK Interactive 1945 German paint set, though this one is using the other three colors in the pack of six – a different Dunkelgelb, a Rotbraun, and a different green.  The Panzerkampfwagen IV were attached to the unit from units in the area, so it would not have likely received the same paint scheme as the core vehicles from 1/512.  The different paint schemes will also highlight the cobbled-together feel of these late war units.

As before I started with a base coat of dunkelgelb and then began masking.  This time instead of using silly putty, I used a white poster tacking compound – or “sticky tack.”  In some ways it works much better than the silly putty.  You can get thinner lines and the material holds its shape better.  However, it tends to adhere to the miniature.  While I had no problems getting it to release without stripping the paint, it was much stickier than the silly putty.  I’ve heard of a product called “Panzer Putty” that I’d like to try next, but I’m still searching for a U.S. source / distributor.  I’ve contacted the main company in Germany, but haven’t heard back yet – wish me luck!

As before I went through and added the camouflage colors in sequence starting with the dark green and finishing with the red brown.  As before, the bulk of the putty becomes quite thick, though with the poster tack you can get thinner masks if you so desire.  Another advantage of the poster tack over the silly putty is it was possible to mask the barrel with the putty rather than having to use blue tape.

Once the masks came off I was fairly pleased with the result, but it is still hard to get a true “soft edge” scheme with either of these techniques.  Based on the Panzer Putty guide, it looks like it holds its shape better, so I may be able to get a soft edged scheme that way.

Next is marking and washes.  I don’t have any data indicating what the actual turret numbers were for the 1/512 Panzerkampfwagen IV were at this point – so I’m likely going to go with 121 through 124 as the unit as a whole was down to 3 or 4 Jagdtigers at that point in the war.  I’m targeting having the army ready to go for a Tanksgiving tournament in November, but I haven’t even started on the infantry at this point (I’m planning at least one unit of Volkssturm).

Battlefront's World War I Germans

With the upcoming release of the Great War supplement for Flames of War, anticipation has been building around the miniature support for this new era.  Some details have been sneaking out, but now one of the first full product spotlights is up on the Flames of War main page.  Battlefront is offering army deals for the World War I forces, which seems like a smart way to go.  

The first army deal covers the German forces - Blitz's Battlegroup (GGEAB1).  The box includes a command group, two infantry platoons, a machine gun platoon, an infantry gun platoon, and two A7V tanks. Based on the photos alone, the box looks very promising - the figures look good, and the tanks look amazing. The boxed set should provide a very solid core for any German force from the upcoming Great War supplement.

I was initially a little skeptical of how Flames of War would translate to World War I, but given Battlefront has decided to start in the part of the Great War where combined arms began to come to the fore, the rules should translate well.  I can't wait until the miniatures and rules hit the street... now I just need to find time in my painting queue...