Progress Update

Guilt has finally got the better of me so here I am with more ramblings!

The (much needed) Christmas break allowed some game-related activity including a very jolly game of AK-47 with Nick Mitchell and Martin Rapier. Sadly my troops, already intimidated by Nick’s better painting, were finally overcome by his luckier dice rolling.

I finally managed to find the time to re-base a load of 15mm Napoleonic Saxons bought off Ebay some 18 months earlier. In truth it was such a large army (4 box files) that I had already sold off about 70% of it. The survivors of this purge (I wonder if it’ll make them fight any better) are now snug on their new flocked and magnabased stands in a single box file.

The above prompted me to have a play around with a Napoleonic game I’ve been pondering for some time now. It uses 15mm toys on (inevitably) my Hexon terrain. A division fills a hex. The rules are at an early stage of development but results so far are fairly promising. Aside from any other considerations, the toys look nice on the terrain! A chat with Martin Rapier at the Sheffield club last night produced some more ideas. Perhaps I should offer to run the game at this year’s COW – that would force me to develop it!

On the 6mm front, I have sent a load of photos of old and weird toys to Pat Callahan for his Micro Armour Mayhem site. I strongly recommend visiting this site – there is a lot to see!

I have also sorted out the toys for a further (Arctic Front) Motor Rifle Regiment (from the, er Cold War) for use in NBC games. This will be tooled up with MT-LBs and be used with my ‘winter’ Hexon tiles. Having spray-painted these toys in late December, I started the brushwork on Sunday. This consisted of painting tyres, tracks, canvas, and lights etc on the vehicles and weapons, boots, packs, flesh and helmets on the infantry - finishing with an oil wash. Monday night saw much drybrushing and cutting out of stands (artists’ mounting board). On Tuesday night I stuck the toys to the stands (with PVA). I now need to flock and edge the bases, varnish everything and add squares of magnetic strip (so I can use Megablitz SP markers). Photos will follow of the completed toys.

Next up will be more snowy Russians and NATO troops to fight them (it’s still 1985 in my games room…)

Notes on NATO Brigade Commander

It occurred to me that while I know what's going on in the game report and photos, other readers might be a bit baffled!

In NBC, a stand generally represents a company. For example, the 1980s British battle group in the photo has 2 tank squadrons, 2 infantry companies and an AT (Swingfire) co.

Warsaw Pact style stands usually represent half battalions. This is to reflect the fact that WP units are generally much smaller than their western counterparts.

The photo shows the Brttish battle group holding off Soviet tank and motor rifle battalions. The MR Btl on the right has just failed it's close assault test (hence the yellow badge of courage). The white crosses are casualty markers.
Most stands are my standard 30x40mm. The squares on the back of the stands are magnetic strip, so that the same toys can be used for Megablitz games. Leg infantry use 30x30mm stands and platoon sized specialists (recce, some AA) 20x40mm. Bigger toys (big guns etc) use (yes, you've guessed it) bigger stands.


WP battalions almost always occupy a single hex, larger btls 2 or more hexes. A hex (1km across in NBC) will accommodate whatever will fit in it!

Hexon terrain

I have 3 sets of Hexon (a set fits nicely on my 3ft wide table) - 1 of the pre-flocked green/brown, 1 in 'desert' and 1 in 'snow'. The latter two I 'flocked' myself, starting with plain brown tiles.

The desert tiles were 'painted' with PVA and then sprinkled liberally with fine sand. Real sand that is - I bought a bag from a DIY store. When dry, small random dabs of PVA were applied and sprinkled with 'grass' flock. The whole lot was then treated to a matt spray varnish.

For the 'snow' tiles I used a similar process but with Woodland Scenics white flock. First I sprayed the bare tiles with a rough coat of matt white - this gives the finished product a slightly patchy effect, which at least to me, looks better than a neat pure white finish.

The Battle of Rotburg – June 1986

This NBC (NATO Brigade Commander) game involved the lead regiment of a Soviet Motor Rifle Division racing to capture an airport near the small (and fictional) north German industrial town of Rotburg. The area was defended by two infantry battalions from a recently arrived British Territorial Army brigade.



Part of a TA Battalion takes up positions overlooking the east-west autobahn. Figures and Saxon APCs by GHQ. All toys from the collection of (and roughly daubed by) Tim Gow.



The Soviet Colonel (Martin Rapier) was told that he would be supported by the division’s tank regiment if he made sufficiently swift progress (units in Rotburg by turn 6). He also had hopes of help from an air assault brigade, most of which would need to be flown in to the airport.

As soon as they came under direct fire, the Brits (Wayne Thomas) could begin dicing for the arrival of an armoured battle group (2 tank squadrons, 2 mechanised companies plus AT and recce elements). There was also a flight of Lynx AT helicopters available on request.

In Rotburg itself, a Soviet Motor Rifle Battalion fails it's close assault morale test! It had been ordered to clear out the two TA Infantry Companies. (More GHQ toys)

In the event the reinforcement dice rolling was abysmal! While the Soviet tank regiment showed up quite early on, the British armour (under Nick Mitchell) only arrived in time to dispute control of the airport. Of the air assault brigade there was no sign. Clearly it was a poor day for flying because the Lynx flight didn’t turn up either, although as the game drew to a close there was a distant sound of rotor blades…

The final score was:
Soviets – 3 battalions lost
British – both TA battalions destroyed
Control of the airport was disputed, but the relative losses made this a clear (if not decisive) Soviet victory. Forward to the West!