Paratroopers

One of the games I have always wanted to run is the Goose Green Falklands scenario given in a Command Post and reprinted in the Command Post Compendium. Of course, what I really want to do is run the whole campaign as outlined in GDW's North Atlantic War, but that's another story.

2nd Para. A mixture of Matchbox Nato Paratroopers, Esci Nato British, and some misc. metals and plastics.

 The figures are largely all from the hard to find in NZ Matchbox NATO Paratroopers set, with some additions from the Esci NATO Troops set. The battalion command stand is from the Esci hard plastic 'Red Devils' set, minus his sten gun. The metal figures such as the Blowpipe stands, one of the Milan stands, and some other assorted gun crew and infantry are from unknown manufacturers. they were purchased second hand from an online auction site.

And in the centre foreground is the Royal Marine FO stand. NGS anyone?

 Now all that's needed are the Argentinians. My initial thought was to do head swaps on Matchbox NATO Paratroopers with Matchbox WW2 American Infantry, but I am reluctant to do so given that I want to use those figures as British infantry for some of the Command Decision scenarios given in North Atlantic War. West Germans from the Esci NATO Troops set are another possibility, but again those figures are quite handy for a variety of purposes. Metals are another possibility. What I am leaning towards at the moment is a combination of all of the above, with additional suitable figures being sourced from US WW2 ranges for the support weapons and crew. The 105mm recoil-less rifle is going to be sourced from the Mars Mujahideen set.

The Jawa Horde

I have always liked Star Wars, I like Command Decision. The natural outcome is combining the two right? Using Micro Machine figures I have created a number of Star Wars armies. Today we will look at Jawas.

Jawas! - lots of 'em!

The system used is a blend of GDW's Striker II, and CD3. Striker II is (was) the updated mass combat system for Traveller: The New Era. It is basically taking CD2 and using the same basic mechanisms but changing the stats, the ground scale, and what stands represent. Single figure stands represent individuals, normal stands represent squads, and models represent one vehicle. In Star Wars Decision (SWD), what a stand represents depends on how big a game we want, as either the standard CD or Striker scales can be used.

Look there at the back! It's a dodgy stratchbuilt Bantha!

Games are generally very silly and a lot of fun.

More Jawas in a slightly different photo. Middle front are Womp Rats!

The Jawas regularly get their beans whenever they're fielded. Low morale, low troop quality, and a command structure that makes mid war Soviets look good, they are a good choice if you want to play a short Sci-Fi army.

Clogging up your Roads, Blocking your Line of Sight, and needing your aid.

Often in  CD Moderns games, I try to add in civilians in order to make the scenarios more challenging, and therefore more fun. In order to do this I created these stands out of a mixture of HO, 1/76, and 1/72 scale figures.

Civilians: - Acting like they live here or something!

 These were painted by spray painting black and then painting with dull and dark blues, greys, and browns. Each stand represents 50 civilians and takes up 1 ton of scale cargo space. This can cause lots of fun in scenarios where one player has to transport the civilians out of an area.

See that guy with the Sackbarrow? Bet you that's more than just the essentials!

For Harad games, ebay was able to provide a number of 1/72 plastic Bedouin style Arab males and females. These guys are just great for complicating the Balkan games that occasionally occur.

Eventually these guys will get fully based up.

Having civilians on the tabletop makes for a different style of game, even if they are just there as window dressing.

The German Repainting Project.

A wargaming army often looks better if its all painted in the same colour scheme. With this maxim in mind I have embarked on rebuilding and repainting my collection of toys. The first ones to receive this treatment have been my later war Germans.

Some Sdkfz 234s

Now in CD terms a late war German Recon Armoured Car Company should have 2x 234/1, 2x 234/2, and 1x 234/3 armoured car models. As previously mentioned I have roughly converted 2 Airfix Armoured Cars into Sdkfz 234/3s, and I have converted 3 Matchbox Pumas into Sdkfz 234/1s by giving them Airfix Sdkfz 222 turrets. And the Matchbox Puma is perfect as itself! The Airfix Armoured Car in the middle (beautifully painted by Mr Barclay and thus saved my repainting attentions) will be used as a Sdkfz 234/4 even though the fenders are entirely wrong. Another Airfix Armoured Car kit is in the process of having its fenders reworked and then repainted to create another Sdkfz 234/4, and should the Junkyard be willing, enough wheels might be found to convert a Matchbox Puma into a Sdkfz 234/1. The problem now becomes that in CD terms I have more Armoured Recon than a single division could field.

A box lid of rebuilds and repaints.

The basic paint scheme is just spray the vehicle primer gray, paint all over with a nice dark yellow, and sponge on some browny red, and dark green paint, and touch up details and tracks and there you go! Once I have all the vehicles painted I can then start to add on markings etc.

Trawling throught the photos

Currently I am avoiding doing work by playing on the computer. Part of this current process of procrastination involves making postings to the blog.

A sprawling settlement in Old Harad

 

And I came across a series of photos taken of a CD3 Moderns game set in my gaming groups setting of Harad. Harad is a fictional country which  has the misfortune to be fought over by multiple factions. This tends to lower real estate values. The campaign incorporates elements of the game Command and Conquer.

A blurry photo of two CD platoons of Chieftain tanks on the advance supported by a company of local miltia. The tanks are plastic Hong Kong knockoffs of the Matchbox BattleKing's Chieftain. This helps explain the dodgy running gear. Chieftains are a popular choice in Harad, these examples being used by a faction of the Brotherhood of Nod.

The religious district.

In CD urban areas are represented by templates, and typically the model on the template reflects the main or most important building in that urban area - in this case the Mosque. Note to the right an understrength battalion prepares to move in the Mosque to safeguard its cultural treasures for all Harad.

Commercial district.

Another urban template, this one represents part of the commercial district. The most notable feature is of course the world famous 'Cafe Dirka Dirka'

Nod forces gather on the outskirts of town.

Another view of the center. Chieftains are everywhere!

Chieftains advance with Militia in support.

A rival Nod faction lies in wait.

The first Chieftain is destroyed

The second Chieftain fails.

Then another...

All in all a very pleasant game was had. Some of these photos have been previous posted on Faceblog.

Elephants!

One of the projects that I have been working on for some time is building up Punic and Roman forces suitable for wargaming the Punic Wars, and also suitable for use as teaching aids. Hat has produced a range of figures which are perfect for this project, the only snag being that I have to base and paint them! The rules I am intending to use will be a homebrew set based on Frank Chadwick's Command Decision and his unpublished set of ancient rules. But for now some much better pictures...

Two of the six War Elephants from the Hat set.

While still a work in progress, I am quite happy with how they are turning out. According to what I have read on the matter it appears that there is some debate about the usage of towers on the backs of Punic Elephants. The available evidence doesn't seem to rule out towers, but doesn't rule them in either! Happily for me, this means I can keep the towers because I think they look cool!

A frontal view of the beasties!

I still have to base these fellows up before they can join a Punic Army. The shields on the towers are either going to be painted as polished bronze or have a suitable Punic insignia painted on. Choices for this insignia range from a crescent moon, a palm tree, or a horse standing in front of a palm tree. The symbol of the Brotherhood of Nod is also tempting.

The Elephant Storage System (ESS)

After the sheer number of earthquakes and aftershocks, decent storage has been a major issue. So I decided to make a custom ESS for all six elephants. The idea is to paint the outside of the box so that I can also use it as a terrain piece - A Punic elephant stables.

It's been some time since the last post...

Two major earthquakes and another series of house moves have caused a delay in my blogging project. So lets get back into the swing of things with some more german armoured cars.

 Photo quality is still awful.

Better pics next time.