A13 MkIV Cruisers from Zvezda

I've wanted some A13s for use with the Operation Compass scenario book for some time, but have never wanted to spend the money on metal or resin models. I've got A13s for France 1940, and they ably substituted during the booklet's playtesting.

Late last year, however, Russian manufacturer Zvezda released plastic A13s that were available at just £1.95 a model...and I couldn't resist and immediately bought a squadron from PSC.

Let's start with the downside:

• the model released is the A13 used in France (no extra trackguard etc).
• they are rather erroneously called Crusaders on the box, but then even I keep a special spreadsheet detailing all the different early war British tanks, so I'm quite forgiving of their mistake 
• the models are pretty basic. A six-part snap together kit (for God's sake remember to put the tracks on the bottom of the hull before you put the top on!) with minimal detail and a very thin, snap-py looking gun.

However, the upside easily outweighs the above: ten tanks for under £20 that paint up very adequately for use on the tabletop. An absolute bargain, and I don't think they look too bad. Let me know what you think...

A bit blurred, but here's the Squadron HQ tank

And here's No 1 Troop

You can see them all in the British Desert War gallery (click here or use the navbar, above).

Here's an actual picture from the western desert. You can see that there's no divisional ID number on the front mudguard, and that there's an the 'added on' track guard along the sides...but otherwise it looks about the same. Camo scheme seems right, although I'm intrigued by the track guard colouring. Also love the tattoos on the bloke on the turret's forearms, and the pith helmets on the front deck!

Morris CS9 Armoured Cars

Keen to clear the painting table ready for my next major project (WW2 US Paras modelled on Band of Brothers' Easy Company), I've just finished a couple of British Morris CS9 armoured cars for the desert.

Nice little models these, from Battlefront, and with some nice detailing on the hull and crew figure. They will represent vehicles from 11th Hussars for Operation Compass.

Just Published: Kampfgruppe von Luck for Chain of Command

Just a quick note: the TooFatLardies have just published the second of their pint-sized campaigns for the WW2 platoon-level game Chain of Command.

Here's what they say about them:

"Kampfgruppe von Luck is the second of our Pint-Sized campaigns for Chain of Command, designed to be played using the campaign handbook At the Sharp End.  

"Thirty pages long, Kampfgruppe von Luck contains an overview of the British airbrorne landings and the response of 21 Panzer Division on D-Day before then going on to present a mini-campaign covering the first counter-attack by Kampfgruppe von Luck, striking for the bridges on the Orne.   

"The campaign is a total of five game tables with the duration running between five and eight games.  Briefings are provided for both sides, along with measurable objectives, period maps, force and support option listings and everything you need to play this campaign through to its conclusion.  

"Like all of our Pint-Sized campaigns, this is available for the price of a pint in our local pub.  We're sure that you'll agree, that is great wargaming value!"

Hopefully the next Special will contain a conversion guide for IABSM!

You can order KvL by clicking here.

IABSM AAR: Turnipograd

A quick battle report dating from December last year. 

The Mad Padre and James Mantos get together for what looks like a cracking game of IABSM. Click here or on the picture, below, to read the AAR.

The Mad Padre's blog can be reached by clicking here.

James "Rabbitman" Mantos' blog can be reached by clicking here.

IABSM AAR: The Dunkirk Perimeter

A cracking battle on the Dunkirk perimeter last Saturday, with the plucky Brits trying to hold the Germans off from a vital railhead until the beaches were clear.

Find out how one unnamed antitank crew member held off the panzers almost on his own by clicking here or on the picture below.

IABSM AAR: Intro to IABSM

I like to trawl the web looking for IABSM battle reports. Here's one I've found from Feb 2014 from the Painted Thumb blog with some lovely figures and terrain!

Click on the photo, below, to see the report here, or click here to go straight to the blog.

Peter Pig Soviet "Dancing Group"

One of my purchases at Warfare this year was Peter Pig's new 'Soviet Dancing Group': eight figures, two with accordions, two with balalaikas, and four doing the stereotypical Russian male dancing thing.

Now those of you who have read my previous post about the Gebirgsjaeger heavy mortars, and the unlikelihood that I will ever get them on the table (minimum range 76"!), must now be concluding that I have finally flipped my lid and decided not to paint anything that I will actually use ever again. I mean, when will I ever need to field musicians and dancing soldiers?

Well I'll tell you when: every time I field any Soviet MMGs.

You see, under IABSMv2, MMG teams were almost always crewed by three men; but under IABSMv3, they are almost always crewed by five men. It's a better fit with the durability of MMG teams, but does cause pain for those of us who have all their MMG teams crewed by three figures not five.

Well not any more!

Now my Soviet MMG teams will appear with their existing three crew members, but each will be accompanied by a couple of music-playing/dancing soldiers. Representation of correct crew numbers problem solved!

Here they are: both as a group and so you can see the (nicely sculpted) figures:

IABSM AAR: Arnhem Game

Not really a full battle report, but more displaying the pictures of a recent IABSM game that tiger1arnhem posted in the Photos section of the TFL Yahoo Group.

Apparently he had written a full AAR, but lost it all due to technology issues. I feel his pain, and can only repeat the mantra "CTRL+S, CTRL+S"!

Click on the picture to see more:

Those of you who do wish to submit full AARs, whatever size or quality, for IABSM, CDS or Q13, can do so by e-mailing me at the same address as for the painting challenge: adminATvislardicaDOTcom.

Gebirgsjaeger Heavy Mortars

I think I'm going to need a bigger table.

With a minimum range of 76", I shall need to put my new unit of German Gebirgsjaeger (mountain troops) Heavy Mortars somewhere out in the garden in order to be able to actually use them in a game!

So why did I bother to buy and paint them up?

Don't know: except for the fact that they are some of the really good Gebirgsjaeger figures from Battlefront - those of you who have read my review of the range (click here) will know that for some reason the Battlefront 15mm Gebirgsjaeger range is neatly divided into two halves: one half being some of the nicest 15mm figures I have ever seen, the other half being one of the worst!

Well, of course I do know why I bothered: it's because they're on the list.

Yes, of course the main reason I have got them is because the IABSM army lists for late war Gebirgsjaeger say that they have heavy mortars as support at Battalion and Regimental level...I've just chosen to ignore the comment that follows stating that they should always be considered as off-table and be actually represented by an FOO unit!

Maybe one day I will get a chance to field them...once the extension is finished!

Here they are:

IABSM AAR: Vaux Sur Seulles

Not the first game of the new year, but the last game of the last year!

An exciting class between British Paras and German garrison troops in Normandy  just after D-Day in June 1944.

Click here or the picture to read the full report.

Dismounted German Tank Crews

Well here's my last entry for this year's painting challenge: fourteen figures making up four bases of dismounted tank crews.

These figures used to come with Battlefront AFV's, and look so much better placed next to an abandoned tank than a 'Bailed Out' marker.

Gebirgsjaeger Panzerschrek Teams

More slightly converted Gebirgsjaeger: this time the two Company HQ Panzerschrek teams.

The chaps actually holding the panzerschreks are originally Peter Pig Fallschirmjaeger figures, with their heads swapped using Peter Pig 'Germans in Caps' heads. I'm pleased how they have turned out.

IABSM AAR: Pasting The Padre

Exciting news! I have taken advantage of the Christmas break to catch up on the re-loading of content onto the new website, and am pleased to say that all the previous IABSM after action reports are now done. That's a huge library of battle reports to browse at your leisure, many with complete scenario information allowing you to re-play the action for yourself.

To celebrate, here's a new AAR, Pasting the Padre, which gathers together the reports written by James Mantos and the Mad Padre about the same game of IABSM played in November this year.

Click here or the picture to read the report; or use the top navigation bar to go to the IABSM After Action Reports section of the website to see literally hundreds more! 

German SdKfz 221 Armoured Cars

Still working my way through all the models I bought in the Battlefront early-war, half-price sale.

Next off the production line are a couple of SdKfz 221 light armoured cars. These are really nice models that paint up beautifully. Recommended.

German Kettenkrad

I've been a little worried that my Gebirgsjaeger (German Mountain Troops) won't be able to move their equipment around properly, especially in harsh terrain or weather conditions.

Problem solved, however, with eight Kettenkrad (motorcycle tractors) painted up as crewed by Gebirgsjaeger.

I must confess to feeling a touch of pride here as, at time of ordering, Battlefront only provided crews in either the standard infantry helmet or the Fallschirmjaeger helmet, not the cap that most of my existing Gebirgsjaeger wear, so I bought some cap-wearing spare heads from Peter Pig and did head-swaps on half. Not exactly the apex of conversion skills, but more than I usually manage!

Website Update: Malaya Day Nostalgia

The Christmas holidays mean I have more time to finish re-loading all the content onto the new VL website. 

I'm still working my way through the IABSM AARs, and great fun it is too. I have done all the scenario pack AARs, and the one-off game AARs, and am now working my way through the TFL Games Day AARs.

I have just finished uploading all the reports from the 2006 Malaya Games Day: a colossal battle involving over a battalion of infantry on either side at 1:1 scale, with the Japanese trying to force their way through the Lardak position, held by British Indian troops.

Click here to go to the IABSM AAR page. The Malaya Games Day reports are in the right hand column, down near the bottom.

Here are a few photos to whet your whistles...

AAR: The Lacôme Canal

Will the Germans manage to keep their blitzkrieg going by taking the bridge over the Lacôme canal, or will the French manage to check the enemy advance?

Find out by clicking here to read this exciting battle report from France 1940.

Site Update

The reloading of the site's contents continues apace!

I have now finished re-loading all the IABSM After Action Reports as far as the one-off battle reports up to the end of 1942. That's all the scenario booklet AARs done, and about a third of the one-off games done.

Some people ask me why I bother to try and record every game of AAR about which a battle report has been written.

Well, there are a number of different reasons. Obviously the reports can be source of inspiration: encouraging you when the 'can't be bothered to game or paint' blues have got to you.

On top of that many of the reports are just such good reads: being so well written that they deserve to be published to a wider audience - and here I commend you to Mr Clarke's body of work.

Many reports also have vast numbers of really good photos attached to them: certainly enough to get your hands itching for a paintbrush again...and I know from personal experience that my terrain collection has grown in sophistication just so that my photos look more like those of the masters.

On top of a bit of inspiration, quite a few of the one-off game reports (especially Kev's) give complete game briefings: enabling you to play the scenario out yourself. Ideal if you're stuck for a game to play and (obviously) have played every scenario in my many scenario booklets!

Note also that some of these reports are now only available here on the Vis Lardica site. There are those that have been written specifically for the site, but there are quite a few others that have been lifted (usually with permission!) from sites or blogs that, for any number of reasons, no longer exist. Vis Lardica has become the IABSM archive, and I would like to see that archive as complete as possible.

So, in summary, read and enjoy the huge body of IABSM (and CDs and Q13) AARs that appear here. Even better: submit your own for inclusion. E-mail me at admin@vislardica.com. I'll do all the work: all I need to know is how I get hold of the text and any photos. All standards of work are included!

R

WW2 Figure Reviews Reloaded

Just a quick note to say that I have finished reloading the six or so WW2 15mm figure reviews into the IABSM Figure Reviews section of the website.

Click here to go there.

The reviews on there at the moment are:

• Gaming Models AB40 and Morris CS9
• Battlefront's Cossacks
• Zvezda's BA-10 armoured cars
• Battlefront's Gebirgsjaeger
• Eureka's Australians
• Some of MMModels WW2 vehicles

I'll write more when the website is fully reloaded!

IABSM Army Galleries Reloaded

I have now finished re-loading all the galleries of my WW2 15mm figure collection.

Very satisfying: and tells me what I've got and, more importantly, where the gaps are...especially with Santa arriving soon.

You can see a list of the galleries here.