Tamiya US command group - part 2

Here is the completed command group - based for convenience as a single stand.

I applied a light black wash to tone down the green a bit.

All have been given the by now customary mad staring eyes.  But hang on, wasn't there a fourth man in the set?

Ah yes, there he is in the background.  LCW command groups have 3 figures so I based him separately.

The map and manuals on the table are images found on the interweb, suitably scaled down!

Tamiya US command group - part 1

I've had this set in 'stock' for some years now, and the gathering pace of the Little Cold Wars arms race mean that it's time has come.

While the moulds, like many of these Tamiya sets, are not in their first bloom of youth the parts went together easily with very little cleaning up required.

Base coat applied and drying, while some Warpact tankers adopt unorthodox positions in the background.

Passing the Taiping test

On Friday I visited fellow blogger and WD member Trebian (see his excellent blog here) to discuss some grown-up business stuff.  When that was safely concluded the splendid Mrs T quite rightly shooed us out of the house to the famed 'Shedquarters'.
Arrayed on the table was a scenario using Trebian's 'Taiping Era' Chinese Revolution (c1860) rules.  This featured impressive quantities of 15mm toys and some real Chinese buildings - bought there while on holiday I gather.

The setup.  Photo by Trebian

I took the part of the revolutionaries while Treb. led the decadent Imperial Chinese.  A full report appears on his blog (see here).  I am surprised to report a victory for my progressive forces, the more so as my battle plan consisted largely of waiting for the Imperialists to come to me and get shot at.

My grand battery in action.  Photo by Trebian

Eclipse? What bloody eclipse?

Despite all the excitement around this - and reports on the radio of people travelling the length of the country to see it, this rather passed me by.  At the time I was on the A1 southbound near Newark and aside from an already cloudy sky getting slightly darker there was no drama.

Not what I saw at all

Airfield defence - part 2

As mentioned in my previous post, my hypothetical NATO airfield is also prepared to fend off  assault from above.  Here is my pair of high-tech Bloodhound AA missiles all ready to see of the red hordes.

These are the old Airfix kits.  Not  great build but they look OK with a bit of paint.  The 'concrete' platforms are from my stock of mdf bases.

Airfield defence - part 1

During a visit last year to discuss progress with Little Cold Wars, my co-author Mr BP gave me some bits of Dinky Scorpion in the belief that so accomplished a bodger could make something of it.  The parts were the two halves of the turret, and the hull top plate.  Not being under pressure to field vast numbers of Scorpions, the bits languished in the spares box until the aforementioned gentleman - clearly alarmed by the growth of our Warpact forces suggested that the thing's true metier might be in NATO airfield defence.  A suitable piece of insulation foam was retrieved from the garage and the hull 'dug in' to it.  The turret was glued together and the missing gun barrel replaced by a length of plastic tube.

Behold the splendour that is a dug in Scorpion.  And bear in mind that it was basically just scrap.

And finally.  Of course threats to airfields also come from above and as can be seen in the background a solution is at hand.  But that's another post.....

Mi-2URP 'Salamander' - part 3

The Comrades have now taken delivery of their latest toy - resplendent in the markings of the cheeriest workers' paradise of them all.

Once again I opted to paint over the windows and then paint them back in again.

This less conventional view shows off the 4 'Sagger' AT missiles and the single 23mm cannon.

US new recruits - part 3

Here is the completed platoon posing for the camera.  Sharp-eyed readers will note that the scenic backdrop bears a striking resemblance to the historic landscape of The Peoples Democratic Republic of Forbodia.  Perhaps this hints at malicious intent on the part of the running dogs of imperialism?

They are nice figures - despite my attentions.  Prize for best pose goes to the chap with the Dragon ATGM.

US new recruits - part 2

Here are the chaps all assembled.  The four figures in the set will make up a platoon for my US forces. I particularly like the guy running with the Dragon ATGM.

US new recruits - part 1

To swell the ranks of my paltry US forces I bought a couple of sets of these chaps.  While very cheap at less then £4 for a set of four figures, I was rather apprehensive about painting Woodland camo, But my recent experiments have encouraged me somewhat.
When this set was introduced the kevlar 'Fritz' helmet was still new and exciting but the weaponry - M-16 rifles, M-60 MG and Dragon ATGM had all been in service for some years.

The small box contained an intimidatingly large number of small parts.  Being Tamiya, all were crisply moulded.

The first rifleman emerges from a pile of plastic bits.

Great Gallic gun guddle - AMX Mk.61 - part deux

See also the original post: here.  Following a coat of green spray paint the AMXs look, if not any better then at least no worse.  Now for a think about markings....

COW 2015 sessions - the story so far - updated 08/03/15

Updated again 08/03/15!
Updated again 06/03/15!

COW 2015 Session Update as at 05/03/2015.  More about the Conference Of Wargamers here.

At the time of writing these were the sessions I had been offered.  If you think you have sent me your session details but they are not listed below – I DON’T HAVE THEM!

 

Tim Gow, John Armatys, Martin Rapier

DON’T LOOK NOW!    The 2015 Plenary Game:

Players represent the first line of defence against the WarPact hordes.  The appearance of this game may not be entirely unrelated to the Conference Organiser having recently acquired most of a 1980s-vintage Miltra British Army Recognition Kit Mk III.

WD Display Team North

COASTAL COMMAND

Ensure Britain's survival by keeping its vital sea lanes open in a short participation game for up to six players about something which is long winded and where not much happens on most sorties…

WD Display Team (North)’s game for the 2015 season is sponsored by Tumbling Dice who kindly provided the 1:600 scale aircraft.

Tim Gow et al

LITTLE COLD WARS

An outdoor toy soldier game – much developed since COW2014.  Featuring toys 54mm and at least two other scales, matchstick firing cannon and daft hats.

John Bassett

EAST IS EAST

A crisis management game set in Singapore and looking at a forgotten episode of Imperial history.  Will you end up enjoying gin slings with the Governor's daughter or be remembered with scorn and contempt across the East?

John Bassett

CHESS

A game on the battle for the intellectual high ground of the 1970s Cold War: the World Chess Championship.  Features defectors, quiet Americans, parapsychologists and hard-faced chain-smokers from the Soviet trade delegation.  I can feel an angel sliding up to me...

Bob Cordery

KREIGSPIEL 1914

Professor Phil Sabin’s ‘Campaign in Two Hours’ kriegsspiel of the opening moves of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front has been played at Windsor Castle and King’s College, London. Now you will have the opportunity to try out this deceptively simple-looking wargame. The session will take 1.5 to 2 hours, and will need three teams: An Allied Team of two/three players, a German Team of two/three players, and an Umpire Team of three (two liaison Umpires and the Master Map Umpire).

John Curry

Paddy Griffith, his Rise and Fall

A frank 1 hour lecture on one of the most important wargamer of his generation.

Colin Maby

Gangsters, or its only business really

A card driven game set in probation era America which sees the players each taking the role of an up an coming gangster who’s aim is to end up having more money than anyone else, which also usually means controlling most of the crime in the notional city. Along the way this is likely to lead to brushes with other gangs and the law and possibly some difficult choices of who they annoy. The game uses areas with representative buildings for different parts of the city and 28mm miniatures to represent characters but is not a traditional skirmish game.

Ian Drury

1777: YEAR OF THE HANGMAN

A map-based multi-player strategic game of the 1777 campaign in North America, arguably the last chance the British had to regain control of the American colonies. Roles include louche aristocrat Lord Howe, ‘Gentleman Johnny’ Burgoyne, the notorious Benedict Arnold and, of course, George Washington.

John Curry

The Return of the Bear

A game based on a large map and giant counters. The system is the type of game that some countries might play to explore a hypothetical Russia threat to some Eastern European Country.  Feedback will be actively sought on the game model.

John Armatys and Martin Rapier

Mini-Jutland

A derivative of a WW2 naval derivative (found on the AWM Yahoo Group) of Neil Thomas’s One Hour Wargame. A simple and fun game for up to four players with dramatically scaled down fleets…

Jim Roche

WATERLOO REVISITED – ABBA 200 YEARS ON

The no traditional Saturday night singalong session!

Jim Roche

Osprey Trench Poker

To mark the continuing anniversary of the Great War, may I introduce Trench Poker, an unoriginal game based on the colour plates from old Osprey books. "I have a full house of three German officers and a pair of Highland pipers...I think he's bluffing; a Straight Flush of five different French ranks indeed!"

For up to four players at five minutes per hand (coins only for bets)

Tom Mouat

Daughter of the Skies

The date is 1947 – Jean Batten, famous female aviator and holder of the record for the London to Auckland solo flight is trying to beat her own record. She has, however, gone missing in a storm over the Pacific! Her wealthy fiancée is desperate to find her! This is a single-session role playing game with up to 8 players using modified “Footfall” rules featuring a Consolidated PBY Catalina, a rich heir, his bodyguard, a society photographer, the aviator’s closest friends and a rather dodgy Flying Company…

Tom Mouat

Kazhdyy Gorod

Welcome to the city of Kazhdyy Gorod in early July 2015, with a population of about 250,000, in the former Soviet Republic of Belaria. In Kazhdyy Gorod there are protests in the street in some of the poorer parts of the city and journalists have been giving them much publicity. The Mayor has been debating whether to get the Police to crack down hard to prevent things getting out of control and the Militia Commander has been quietly reviewing security at the base in the light of rumours that there are armed rebel troops in the forest to the East of town… This is a Matrix Game for up to 6 players representing the key players in this troubled city…

Tom Mouat

The Battle for the Slim River

The Imperial Japanese forces have invaded Malaya! They have advanced relentlessly driving all before them until this moment where they are facing stiff British resistance at the Slim River. You are part of the Japanese attacking force consisting of about 17 Type 97 medium tanks and 3 Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks, under the command of Major Toyosaku Shimada preparing for a daring assault down a single road! Banzai! This game actually features toy soldiers and the longest terrain map in the history of wargaming. Roles for up to 10 players.

Ian Lowell

Trump It!

A workshop session on using unusual playing cards for wargaming.  Following some of thoughts on the German Peasants’ War 1524—26 sessions at COW 2014.  An introduction to the earliest packs of cards and gaming with them, especially the following :

Karnöffel, The Visconti-Sforza Tarot and the Mantegna ‘Tarot’.

Ian Lowell

Rein-Bow Warriors Redux

A talk on the latest research into Late Bronze Age warfare, especially focusing on chariots.

  Followed by a chance to experiment with and try out the latest Rein-Bow Warrior rules.

Phil Steele

The Battle of Bouvines 1214

A delayed 800th anniversary wargame . Historical introduction plus toy soldier wargame in 15mm using adapted Basic Impetus.  A decisive battle on the Magna Carta timeline ...

Phil Steele

Sink The Bismark

Simple wargame using the 1:1200 Airfix models and the combat/damage system from last year's 'pop-up' game.

Phil Steele

Yarmuk 636

The decisive battle of the Arab Conquests ... Historical introduction plus a toy soldier wargame using classic 30mm flats and state of the art DBA V3.  A Society of Ancients 50th anniversary wargame.

Mike Elliott

Trafalgar

Naval wargames have always annoyed me.  Detailed rules for ship to ship actions but far too complex for actual fleet actions.  In the 210th anniversary year, I present a wargame of the Battle of Trafalgar, with EVERY ship individually represented and ruthlessly simple rules to (hopefully!) allow play to a conclusion in about 90 mins to 2 hours.

Mike Elliott

Waking Shark or Cyber Warfare - The Six Stage Kill Chain

A lecture and discussion about cyber warfare and how we might simulate it in the context of a wargame.

Mike Elliott

Late Arrivals at the Duchess of Richmond's Ball

A Dinner Table Game.

It is 15th June 1815. Time travelling military(?) figures from all periods of history arrive for the Duchess of Richmond's Ball on the eve of Waterloo ... Inevitably, with time travel being what it is they arrive  late ...

An across-the-dinner-table entertainment on Saturday evening in the style of the Late Arrivals game from "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue". Laughter and mirth will ensue (I hope!!)

The best submissions may even find their way into the Nugget (Shock! Horror!).

Sue Laflin-Barker

GENTLEMEN GO BY

It’s the latest version of the usual game, smugglers trying to deliver their goods and the revenue trying to itercept them.

Michael Young

Kestrel's Hover

This is a wargame I developed for and played with 16th Air Assault Brigade. They wanted it to compare helicopter and parachute landings.

 It uses a 200m hex grid and the units are platoons or sections, with 15 minute time steps.  The scenario is the capture of an airbase against light, but cunning opposition.

16th Air Assault liked the game so much they took a copy of it back to Colchester with them.

This will be a double session:  The first one will be a Helicopter Assault, the second one a Parachute Assault.  Feel free to attend either or both sessions.

Mi-2URP 'Salamander' - part 2

Having done the big and easy parts, on now with the fiddly bits.  The Sagger missiles are a delight!

Their mounting pylons rather less so...

The menacing ensemble awaiting the attentions of the comrades in State Spray Painting Workshop No.3.