Games played in 2014

As usual here is the list of games I played and/or ran during the year.  I suspect there are a few gaps but It's still quite long!

Little Cold Wars:
A Luftwaffe Starfighter sees off a Soviet Mig-21 over British positions near Kakstadt.

Date, Game, Rules, Scale, Players

2 January: Tibbermore 1644, CC17, 25mm, 1

8 January: Medway 43AD, CCA, 25mm, 5

15 January: Captain Bertorelli's Drum, Voyages Extraordinares, 20mm, 6

22 January: Into the void, 1981 (air assault), NATO Brigade Commander, 2mm, 7

28 January: Ukraine 1944, Megablitz, 20mm, 3

29 January: Fleet in motion, Iron Ships & Wooden Heads, 1/6000, 6

19 February: Horse, Foote & Faith, 28mm, 6

5 March: Crisis at Meacri, 25mm, 6

12 March: Edessa 259AD, CCA, 25mm, 5

19 March: French v Austrians, 15mm, 6

26 March: Crisis in Crimea, boardgame, 6

30 March: Cold War playtest 1, 54mm, 1

2 April: Holding Back the Tide, 15mm, 5

9 April: President Fred's Funeral, PBOM, 15mm, 5

16 April: Minden 1759, Neil Thomas, 15mm, 4

23 April: Motorway (a design classic!) boardgame, 6

23 April: Car Capers (ages 6 and up...) 5

30 April: ACW,Neil Thomas, 15mm, 5

6 May: Kakstadt 1 - Operation Damp Patch, Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 2

6 May: Kakstadt 2 - Operation Dark Fumble, Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 2

7 May: Kakstadt 3 - Operation Full Frontal, LCW, 54mm, 4

7 May: Kakstadt 4 - Operation Deep Thrust, LCW, 54mm, 2

11 May: Doodlebuggers (final testing), 1/72, 1

14 May: Doodlebuggers (final final testing), 1/72, 6

17-18 May: Doodlebuggers, 1/72, around 45 games!

4 June: French v Russian, Neil Thomas Napoleonic, 15mm, 4

18 June: Drive on Scheissenburg, Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 5

2 July: Assault on Scheissenburg, Little Cold Wars, 54mm etc, 7

9 July: Microdot, dodgy old boardgame, 6

9 July: Monte Carlo Rally, dodgy card game, 4

11 July: A Mighty Wind, COW Plenary Game, 40+

11 July: Doodlebuggers, 1/72, c15 games!

12 July: Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 8

12 July: Political Justice Sub-Committee, 6

13 July: Operation Seelowe, map game, 8

23 July: Hill 112, Memoir 45, 15mm, 3

30 July: Boudica's Revolt, CCA, 25mm, 3

6 August: Film at Eleven, Boots on the Ground, 15mm, 4

13 August: Elchingen 1805, CCN, 15mm, 3

20 August: Brimstone, Boots on the Ground, 15mm, 6

27 August: Tank attack! (indoor version), Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 3

27 August: Tank attack! (outdoor), Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 3

27 August: Little Cold Wars air combat development game, 1/72, 2

3 September: Kadesh 1275ishBC, CCA, 25mm, 3

1 October: Sambre 57BC, CCA, 25mm, 5

8 October: Counterattack, NBC, 2mm, 2

29 October: Sambre 57BC, Neil Thomas Ancients, 25mm, 5

5 November: Lutzen, Neil Thomas, 15mm, 5

19 November: Rhesaina 243AD, CCA, 25mm, 4

26 November: Congress of Berlin 1878 Committee Game, 5

3 December: Challenges & Adventures, RPG, 8

10 December: Mokre 1944, Battlegroup, 15mm, 4

17 December: West of Kleineburg, Little Cold Wars, 54mm, 3

28 December: Special Reconnaissance Patrol, 1980, Map Game, 4

28 December: Challenges & Adventures, RPG, 4

West of Kleineburg, 1979 - part 4

Back in 1979, the second company of Brits reveals itself.  Half (above) were Britains Deetail figures, while (below) the others were conversions - not by me - of Airfix figures.

The first two Forbodian rifle companies were preparing to assault the enemy held wood.  The dice are the close assault tests - each stand needs to roll equal to or less than the remaining number of figures in order to press home their attack, so it can be seen that two are going in (having rolled 2 and 4) while the others have bottled it by rolling 5, 6).

The Brit CO watching from the hills to the east....

...while nearby the BRDM platoon had returned to recce the hill.

An overview of the nasty scrap for the central wood.

At this point, the Forbodian mortar suffered a rather fatal 'short' - the round hit the radio operator in the HQ stand!  We then tested for additional casualties....

...resulting in the demise of several trucks, half the Sagger Platoon and the Battalion CO!

The 3rd rifle company was proving reluctant to join in the action...

...but a visit from a representative of SPARK (Special Police And Revolutionary Kommissars) stiffened their resolve.

Eventually the Comrades had the better of the fighting and the Brits crept away...

...but not before that British HQ had stalked the BRDM plt through the woods...

...and scored a hit!

We decided that the action was a draw as while the Fodbodians were left in possession of the field they had suffered quite badly.  I'm sure the Comrades will want to avenge this outrage soon....

Christmas goodies

Once again Santa has delivered a few interesting things:

A brace of calendars supporting good causes - The Vulcan one will replace it's 2014 forbear in my office while the British Legion will grace my toy room.

A most useful Osprey!  I particularly like the outfit sported by the Japanese officer in the centre of the cover art.  Just the job for winter dog walking!

Martin R showed me his copy of this a while back and it went on my Amazon wishlist the same evening!  Clearly even Santa uses the interwebnet for his shopping these days.

White Christmas?

Well nearly.  At around 1830 yesterday a sleet shower turned to snow and began to settle.  The photo above shows the motor pool at Megablitz Towers at around 2300.  Fortunately we were at home and - dog walking excepted - didn't have to be anywhere today.  I gather that central Sheffield was gridlocked with the added bonus of a power cut.

 Above:  this was the situation at 1900.  Below: and at 2130.

Meanwhile in the parallel universe that is Little Cold Wars the roads were kept open by this splendid Simca Sumb snowplough which came with a collection of Solido military die casts I recently acquired.  It even has snow chains on the wheels.

Festive Forbodian Tank Regiment

 No Christmas celebrations for the Comrades of course, but a jolly parade to intimidate you decadent imperialists.  All of these toys are in 1/43 - 1/48ish scales and all have been acquired during 2014.

Quality. The understrength T-72 battalion, with only two companies.

Quantity - one of the T-55 battalions, with three companies each of two toy tanks
(each representing five real ones), and the HQ in a snazzy BRDM-2. 

More quantity - the other T-55 battalion, this time with HQ in a GAZ-69.

The regimental assets...

...RHQ with a gaggle of GAZ-69s and a platoon of T-55... 

...Recce Company with a platoon each of BRDM and PT-76...

...Air Defence with a Plt of ZSU-23/4 and the engineers with BTR-60PB and BTS recovery tank.  

1/48 T-72M revisited

See also my related earlier posts - part 1 and part 2 which deal with the construction with the first of these kits.  But you didn't really think I only had one, did you?

The base colour was as usual Humbrol Grass Green spray, oversprayed with patches of grey and sand.

Whatever you think of them, gentle reader, the Forbodian Peoples' Army will no doubt be glad of these (relatively) high-tech reinforcements.

All four T-72s - two companies in Little Cold Wars!

Bob Plumb's toys - part 2

 Having completed the initial sort out and dividing up of the toys between their three new owners I managed to get some refurb work done.  So far I have removed various figures from their old bases, carried out some repair work and glued them to new mdf bases - using up must of my remaining stock of new bases in the process.

 A coat of Ronseal Satin finish Medium Oak was then applied.  When this was dry.....

 ....the bases were flocked.  Visible in this photo are various Greeks, Byzantines, Thracians, Persians, Romans and of course.....

....elephants!
How many figures did I end up with?  Well let's just say that more mdf bases are on order....

West of Kleineburg, 1979 - part 3

Despite expecting the nearest enemy to be about 6km away, the Forbodians wisely spaced out their forces.  Leading the pack was a recce platoon of BRDM which the Brits ignored.  Next up was this PT-76 platoon (a Solido diecast).  As it drove onto the bridge....

...boom!  The Brits detonated the charges laid during the night.  Then their (off table) battery of 105s opened up.

The luckiest shot of the game.  A direct hit by a matchstick fired from 10 feet away!

Then the Forbodian infantry arrived.  They were quite annoyed about the loss of the bridge.

The trucks are old Corgi ERFs standing in as East German Robur LO1800As.

The battery of 85mm AT guns deploys.  The gun is a diecast PAK 40, the fake GAZ 66 is actually an old Corgi Jeep FC150.

Having waded the river the first Forbodian infantry co soon came under fire from Brits in the woods.

The Paras are old Britains Super Deetail figures with weapons, webbing and berets repainted.

The full Forbodian force assembled.

Two rifle companies advance...

...while a third crosses the river.  

Who will win the firefight?

         Will the Forbidians charge the Brits?

                    Will the Brit artillery ever hit anything again?

I should mention that the maps and briefings are available as downloads from the files section of the Little Cold Wars Yahoo Group.