IABSM AAR: Taking Ochota By Surprise

/

By the end of the first week of September 1939, the German 4th Panzer Division had advanced as far as Warsaw. Thinking the Poles would be knocked off balance by the speed of their advance, German commanders issued orders for the city to be stormed via the Ochota district on the western flak of Warsaw.

The Poles, however, had heavily reinforced the area, with units from the 40th “Children of Lwow” Regiment barricading streets and manning gun emplacements along all the approaches.

The Poles let the Germans drive into the city, and then opened fire with everything they had. Worse, many streets had been covered in turpentine, which was then lit on fire, destroying several German tanks and catching German infantry in the inferno that followed.

This then was the background for scenario #48 (Taking Ochota by Surprise) of the second September war scenario pack. The game would begin as the Poles (played by Dave) open their attack on the advancing Germans (played by John). The Germans’ objective was just to get as many of their units as possible back off the table; the Poles’ objective was to destroy as many German units as possible.

Click on the picture below to see what happened:

Poland 1939: Book Recommendation

/

I picked up an excellent book on the September War the other day: Roger Moorhouse’s “First to Fight”.

It’s a very readable summary of the campaign that concentrates more on the day-to-day events of the campaign than on the politics that inspired them i.e. very much a wargamer’s book!

I’ve just started reading it, and what’s especially pleasing is that the first few actions described coincide almost exactly with the first few scenarios in the first September War scenario pack for IABSM. We’re talking Chojnice, Mokra, Wegierska Gorka and many more. I haven’t found any contradictions between the two publications yet either.

Here’s the official blurb:

'This deeply researched, very well-written and penetrating book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come' - Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

The Second World War began on 1 September 1939, when German tanks, trucks and infantry crossed the Polish border, and the Luftwaffe began bombing Poland’s cities. The Polish army fought bravely but could not withstand an attacker superior in numbers and technology; and when the Red Army invaded from the east – as agreed in the pact Hitler had concluded with Stalin – the country’s fate was sealed. Poland was the first to fight the German aggressor; it would be the first to suffer the full murderous force of Nazi persecution. By the end of the Second World War, one in five of its people had perished.

The Polish campaign is the forgotten story of the Second World War. Despite prefacing many of that conflict's later horrors – the wanton targeting of civilians, indiscriminate bombing and ethnic cleansing – it is little understood, and most of what we think we know about it is Nazi propaganda, such as the myth of Polish cavalry charging German tanks with their lances. In truth, Polish forces put up a spirited defence, in the expectation that they would be assisted by their British and French allies. That assistance never came.

First to Fight is the first history of the Polish war for almost half a century. Drawing on letters, memoirs and diaries by generals and politicians, soldiers and civilians from all sides, Roger Moorhouse’s dramatic account of the military events is entwined with a tragic human story of courage and suffering, and a dark tale of diplomatic betrayal.

Highly recommended:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Fight-Polish-War-1939/dp/1847924603/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=first+to+fight&qid=1569252539&sr=8-1




IABSM AAR: Decision at Le Mer, D-Day -1

/

Bob Cockayne and friends have been playing out an epic Normandy game over the last month or so.

They only have a limited time each session, so tend to play a single game over a number of get-togethers, with Bob reporting on each one on a week-by-week “serial” basis.

You can see Bob’s original posts on the Beasts of War forum but, firmly believing in the binge-the-box-set mentality (I’ve just finished a Peaky Blinders marathon!), I’ve gathered them all together into one massive AAR that you can read here on Vis Lardica by clicking on the picture, below.

TFL Painting Challenge: Latest Update

/

I’m determined to keep on top of the Challenge as we enter the busiest time of the year, so here’s another update. In no particular order, we have:

  • Travis with some more barbarians

  • Mark Luther (fresh from his AAR from Friday) with the first of his German pioneers

  • There’s some Kickstarter sci-fi from Carole

  • Finally Mervyn has escaped Hyboria: there’ s some foot sergeants and wild west desperadoes on show

  • More 15mm Renaissance from Andrew

  • And last, but by no means least, Lloyd claims to have finished his 6mm ACW armies for now with another large submission. Time will tell…but looking back through his gallery, he seems to have painted vast numbers of Greys and Blues over the past few months

And that was it for this week. For all my protestations, quite slow after a very busy summer. As per usual, clicking on the name of the person in the list above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window). Here are today’s pics:

Finally Got Some Painting Done

/

So I finally managed to get some painting done: a third Sumerian spear block.

These are more of Museum Miniatures excellent CAD designed 15mm figures: some of the best Ancients I’ve seen and very easy to paint up.

As with the other two blocks, these were painted using the new Citadel Contrast Paints: one coat only for every colour except the bronze.

Three down, three to go!

IABSM AAR: Cymru Am Byth #12: Let's Get At The B*st*rds!

/

Mark Luther gives his very special treatment to the twelfth scenario from the Cymru Am Byth Welsh Guard scenario pack.

This is an attack for control of the little cluster of farm buildings on top of hill 242 overlooking Chenedolle at Le Haut Perrier on August 11, 1944.

Click on the picture, below, to see all:

TFL Painting Challenge: Monday Morning Update

/

Morning all. Didn’t have time to update the Challenge over the weekend, so you get it first thing Monday morning instead. What a great start to the week!

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the Painting Challenge entries from the last seven days or so:

  • Mark Luther has been building trenches and pimping up tanks

  • More Saracen archers from Steve Burt

  • Yet more Conan figures from Mervyn Douglas…and it’s a trick question: he punches the camel in both Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer

  • Travis has switched to painting Celts

  • It’s good to see Stumpy back on the list: an eclectic list of basing from him

  • Three gorgeous vehicles and an amazing Arnhem bridge in 28mm from John Emmett

  • And last, but not least, a mix of sci fi, fantasy and samurai from Derek (I recognise those buildings!)

As always, clicking on the name of the person above will take you straight through to their gallery (opens in a new window); and I’ll be updating the Scorecard later in the week.

Here are today’s pictures:

And as a reminder:

The 25% Off The September War Scenario Packs Sale Is Still On

To mark the 80th year after the accepted start of WW2 with the invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939, the TooFatLardies and I are pleased to offer a great discount on the two September War scenario packs for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! with a whopping 25% off when you buy them as a bundle.

Written by Robert Avery and Alexander Kawczynski, each September War scenario pack for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! provides thirty scenarios for the theatre, making sixty available in all.

Divided into eight mini-campaigns, the first pack (The September War Part One) begins with the battles at the border, then covers the fight for the Polish corridor, the Polish Thermopylae at Narew, the Siege of Warsaw, the climactic battles at Bzura and Tomaszow Lubelski, and the actions of the 10th Motorised Cavalry “Black” Brigade and the Independent Operational Group Polesie. There are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, desperate defences…there’s even an armoured train or two.

Divided into six mini-campaigns, the second pack (The September War Part Two) begins with four based on specific German units: Panzerdivision Kempf, the 1st GebirgsjaegerDivision, the 4th Panzer Division, and the 1st Kavallerie Brigade. Then there are two mini-campaigns based on the Soviet invasion of Poland: the Belorussian Front and the Ukrainian Front. Finally there are details of two stand-alone battles: Westerplatte and the Hel Peninsula. As always, there are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, and desperate defences, all containing a whole host of useful scenario mechanics that can be re-used elsewhere.

No need for any preparation: each scenario contains a brief background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, make up the deck from the list of cards required, unpack your figures and dice, set up the table and away you go!

Click here to buy the combined bundle.

IABSM AAR: Cymru am Byth #03: The Crossroads

/

A great AAR from Tim Whitworth and the Like a Stone Wall group! This encounter is taken from the Cymru am Byth (Welsh Guards) scenario pack, and features a game based on their heroic but ultimately doomed defence of Boulogne.

See how the Guards stand up to the German Panzers by clicking on the picture, below:

IABSM AAR: Eastern Front Clash

/

Desmondo Darkin and friends recently played an eastern front clash in 20mm using their dice-driven variant of IABSM.

Click on the pic below to see what happened, and to admire the superb winter terrain…

And as a reminder:

25% Off The September War Scenario Packs

To mark the 80th year after the accepted start of WW2 with the invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939, the TooFatLardies and I are pleased to offer a great discount on the two September War scenario packs for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! with a whopping 25% off when you buy them as a bundle.

Written by Robert Avery and Alexander Kawczynski, each September War scenario pack for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! provides thirty scenarios for the theatre, making sixty available in all.

Divided into eight mini-campaigns, the first pack (The September War Part One) begins with the battles at the border, then covers the fight for the Polish corridor, the Polish Thermopylae at Narew, the Siege of Warsaw, the climactic battles at Bzura and Tomaszow Lubelski, and the actions of the 10th Motorised Cavalry “Black” Brigade and the Independent Operational Group Polesie. There are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, desperate defences…there’s even an armoured train or two.

Divided into six mini-campaigns, the second pack (The September War Part Two) begins with four based on specific German units: Panzerdivision Kempf, the 1st GebirgsjaegerDivision, the 4th Panzer Division, and the 1st Kavallerie Brigade. Then there are two mini-campaigns based on the Soviet invasion of Poland: the Belorussian Front and the Ukrainian Front. Finally there are details of two stand-alone battles: Westerplatte and the Hel Peninsula. As always, there are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, and desperate defences, all containing a whole host of useful scenario mechanics that can be re-used elsewhere.

No need for any preparation: each scenario contains a brief background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, make up the deck from the list of cards required, unpack your figures and dice, set up the table and away you go!

Click here to buy the combined bundle.

TFL Painting Challenge: 1st September Update

/

Another two weeks of hard work by our painters, with the results appearing on the 80th anniversary of what’s generally accepted as the start date of WW2.

In no particular order, we have:

As per usual, clicking on the name of the person above will take you straight through to their gallery. Here are today’s pictures…

And as a reminder from yesterday:

25% Off The September War Scenario Packs

To mark the 80th year after the accepted start of WW2 with the invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939, the TooFatLardies and I are pleased to offer a great discount on the two September War scenario packs for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! with a whopping 25% off when you buy them as a bundle.

Written by Robert Avery and Alexander Kawczynski, each September War scenario pack for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! provides thirty scenarios for the theatre, making sixty available in all.

Divided into eight mini-campaigns, the first pack (The September War Part One) begins with the battles at the border, then covers the fight for the Polish corridor, the Polish Thermopylae at Narew, the Siege of Warsaw, the climactic battles at Bzura and Tomaszow Lubelski, and the actions of the 10th Motorised Cavalry “Black” Brigade and the Independent Operational Group Polesie. There are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, desperate defences…there’s even an armoured train or two.

Divided into six mini-campaigns, the second pack (The September War Part Two) begins with four based on specific German units: Panzerdivision Kempf, the 1st GebirgsjaegerDivision, the 4th Panzer Division, and the 1st Kavallerie Brigade. Then there are two mini-campaigns based on the Soviet invasion of Poland: the Belorussian Front and the Ukrainian Front. Finally there are details of two stand-alone battles: Westerplatte and the Hel Peninsula. As always, there are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, and desperate defences, all containing a whole host of useful scenario mechanics that can be re-used elsewhere.

No need for any preparation: each scenario contains a brief background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, make up the deck from the list of cards required, unpack your figures and dice, set up the table and away you go!

Click here to buy the combined bundle.

25% Off The September War Scenario Packs

/

To mark the 80th year after the accepted start of WW2 with the invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939, the TooFatLardies and I are pleased to offer a great discount on the two September War scenario packs for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! with a whopping 25% off when you buy them as a bundle.

Written by Robert Avery and Alexander Kawczynski, each September War scenario pack for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum! provides thirty scenarios for the theatre, making sixty available in all.

Divided into eight mini-campaigns, the first pack (The September War Part One) begins with the battles at the border, then covers the fight for the Polish corridor, the Polish Thermopylae at Narew, the Siege of Warsaw, the climactic battles at Bzura and Tomaszow Lubelski, and the actions of the 10th Motorised Cavalry “Black” Brigade and the Independent Operational Group Polesie. There are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, desperate defences…there’s even an armoured train or two.

Divided into six mini-campaigns, the second pack (The September War Part Two) begins with four based on specific German units: Panzerdivision Kempf, the 1st GebirgsjaegerDivision, the 4th Panzer Division, and the 1st Kavallerie Brigade. Then there are two mini-campaigns based on the Soviet invasion of Poland: the Belorussian Front and the Ukrainian Front. Finally there are details of two stand-alone battles: Westerplatte and the Hel Peninsula. As always, there are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, and desperate defences, all containing a whole host of useful scenario mechanics that can be re-used elsewhere.

No need for any preparation: each scenario contains a brief background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, make up the deck from the list of cards required, unpack your figures and dice, set up the table and away you go!

Click here to buy the combined bundle.

IABSM AAR: The 4th Panssari Goes to War!

/

Dave Lister had a lot of fun running a scenario based on the Battle for Honkaniemi (Feb. 26, 1940) at Broadsword 9 last weekend,. Honkaniemi is known as the only, and therefore largest, tank battle of the Winter War!

As you may know, while the Soviets had thousands of tanks at their command, the Finns had very few indeed. They threw them into a desperate attack late in the war that they hoped would throw back the Soviet forces that were closing on Viipuri (only 15km away at this point in the conflict) and spearhead a larger Finnish offensive operation.

Well, it turned out to be a terrible day for the Finns, from losing more than half of their thirteen operational tanks to mechanical trouble, to friendly artillery falling on the heads of the supporting infantry, to a complete lack of reconnaissance that could have revealed the Soviets were planning their own attack operation at the very same place and the very same time!

While a conventional victory was probably out of the question, Dave and friends decided to judge the results of this scenario against what the plucky and hopeless Finnish tankers achieved historically. And for all that, the Finns did very well during the game! Have a look and see what you think by clicking on the picture below:

A "Test of Honour" Tester

/

Always nice to get an invitation to a game, so it was with great pleasure that I joined fellow Lardy Derek Hodge and friends at the South East Scotland Wargames Club last night for a game of Test of Honour.

For those of you not familiar with the game, ToH is a game of samurai skirmish warfare. Each side gets one major league samurai and a number of followers, one figure = one man, and fights it out for a set objective using a simple dice based combat system.

The forces at my command last night

The game comes with a variety of different scenario suggestions included: here we were tasked with taking a number of objectives within an enemy village.

The game began with both sides exchanging some long range missile fire, with my ashigaru bowmen getting a slight advantage over Derek’s musketeers.

The enemy musketeer-wielding ashigaru

Meanwhile, my lead samurai and some ashigaru pikemen were sneaking around the bottom of the village, aiming to take the objective indicated by the counter in the nearest building in the picture above.

I say sneaking, but my lead samurai just ran at the village at top speed, hidden from enemy missilemen by the various buildings. Very quickly, he had clambered into the hut and taken the objective: one down, two to go.

Time was against us (we only had five turns of play to get the matter done) so I decided not to waste any more time and, as the three enemy musketeers were currently unloaded, to charge out of the hut and show them how a real man fights!

Despite being slightly impeded by the terrain, I smashed into the three ashigaru and, with a couple of stabs of my yari or long spear, killed one musketeer and sent the other two reeling backwards in a panic.

At this point the enemy no.2 samurai charged forward and took a mighty swing at me with his sword, but missed as I had gained a characteristic card allowing me a nifty dodge. I stabbed back, and managed a critical hit impale, technically killing him and knocking him to the ground.

I say technically as samurai characters have a dog’s chance like extra life…meaning my enemy was still drawing breath.

Not for long, however, as the initiative came my way again, and I polished him off with another critical hit. The dice were definitely on my side today!

With half their missilemen and one leader down, and two objectives out of three already in my hands, the opposition gave up: withdrawing to cede me total control of the village.

A glorious victory achieved almost solely with one major league samurai character. Excellent stuff and just like the movies!

They sent an army against him. He threw it back in pieces!

A great fun game with a great fun system that I shall definitely play again when I can. My thanks to Derek and friends for a great fun evening. Now back to the Fringe…

Peleliu at The Other Partisan

/

The other game of I AIn’t Been Shot, Mum at The Other Partisan was another amphibious assault: Tim Whitworth and the Like a Stone Wall Group’s magnificent Pelelie scenario, set in the Pacific with US Marines assaulting a Japanese-held beach.

This game was, in fact, so good that it won the Best Demonstration Game award for the show. Click on the picture below to see loads of excellent pictures of the game: