Soviet 120mm Mortars added:

 The Lion class transports for the Felids join the Garn force:

Some of you will have noticed that I have re-vamped the front page of the Vis Lardica website to make it easier to navigate to all my various wargaming pages rather than just the WW2 and Sci-Fi ones.

I have also begun the process of transferring all the 19th century wargaming information from the Vis Imperica website to this one. I am consolidating my four websites (Vis Bellica, Vis Magica, Vis Imperica and Vis Lardica) into two (Vis Bellica and Vis Lardica) really just to make everything easier to get to.

 A catch-up on photography this afternoon. First up more tanks for my later war Soviets:  a platoon T-34/85s:

The second platoon of M11/39 tanks arrives:

I have finally got around to adding pictures of all my insectoid sci-fi figures. We welcome The Hive to the party!

 Some of the parasachnid bio-weapons have been added

 The Alligator class transports join the Garn force:

Here's the second AAR from the Burton-upon-Trent “Beer & Lard Day”. This time we're off to the jungles of Malaya for action along the Slim River.

This weekend saw the first Burton-upon-Trent “Beer & Lard Day”: a day’s wargaming that gives those people unable to easily travel down to Lard HQ for our annual events an opportunity to try out games from the TooFatLardies stable of rules.

My role was to run the games using I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum!, the Lardies’ WW2 company level ruleset.  I ran three different scenarios on the day, the first of which was 3RTR at Hames-Boucres: the third game from the Defence of Calais early war scenario pack.

Here's the battle report.

A Get Your Frickin' Tentacle Out Of My Face battle report: the tyrannosaur-like Garn take on the rather fishy Pelagic Dominate.

Battle report from a great game at the Farnborough Wargames Society: action from the Anzio beachhead in February 1944.

 The Myzontid Rangers have joined the ranks of the Pelagic Dominate troops.

 The last of the late war tanks added to the Gallery:

 A new GYFTOOMF army list: Critical Mass Games' excellent ARC Fleet human army contains a good mix of infantry types supported by both grav tanks and walkers.

GYFTOOMF Army Lists

I've updated some of the army lists for Get Your Frickin' Tentacle Out Of My Face (the sci-fi variant of IABSM) to take into account new releases from Khurasan Miniatures. These include two ridiculously superheavy vehicles for the Garn (the tank variant is shown below) and the Myzontid Ranger infantry for the Pelagic Dominate (the standard infantry grouping also shown below).

A couple more units finished for my Italian WW2 army: a platoon of light tanks for the western desert and a platoon of Semovente 90/53s for Sicily (both shown below).

A sci-fi AAR:  the Protolene Khanate invade Earth and find themselves up against the US Army!

A couple more units finished for my Italian WW2 army: a platoon of tank destroyers and a platoon of armoured cars (both shown below).

I haven't had a chance to do much gaming in the last month or so:  holidays, work, real life etc! I have, however, been able to do a little painting: here are the first pictures of the Protolene Khanate, Critical Mass Games' excellent range of dog-headed sci-fi infantry and walkers. 

To give you some idea of how large the medium walkers are, the infantry below are mounted on 20p plastic tokens, the medium walkers on large FOW bases...

Can't wait to try them out on the table!

After Action Report

A Vietnam AAR from Yours Truly: the first scenario from the Surf's Up scenario book:

WW2 Galleries

A couple of pictures loaded: 2-pounder portees for the desert Brits, and light and medium mortars for the desert Italians.

GYFTOOMF Army Lists

I've updated all the army lists for Get Your Frickin' Tentacle Out Of My Face (the sci-fi variant of IABSM) to take into account new releases, extra information, and to make the initiative dice for each type of infantry more consistent.

After Action Report

Dom Skelton gives us an AAR detailing his first game of Charlie Don't Surf, playing a scenario from the Surf's Up scenario booklet.

WW2 Galleries

A couple of pictures loaded: Matildas for the desert Brits, and 20/65 AA guns for the desert Italians.

After Action Report

Graham Nolan gives us an AAR detailing his group's first game of Charlie Don't Surf.

After Action Report

James Mantos provides a short, but sweet battle report from the Russian front.

For all those who game the Vietnam war, or who have wanted to but never found a set of rules you liked, I am very pleased to announce the release of the latest TFL ruleset: Charlie Don't Surf.

Available from the TFL website, along with Surf's Up a companion book of scenarios, I cannot recommend this ruleset highly enough. Not only does it incorporate all the latest TFL game mechanics and tweaks destined for IABSM v3, but it totally and 100% captures the feel of the period. So di di mau to the TFL website and get yourself a copy of this Number Ten Thousand ruleset!

The second AAR from the Operation Compass scenario booklet. Action similar to that of Sidi Barrani, but this time east of Buq Buq.

I've added details for Zombiesmith's beautifully realised quasi-WW1 alien race: the Quar. Highly recommended figures for those who play either GYFTOOMF or even M&B.

The first AAR from the Operation Compass scenario booklet. Night time action at Sidi Barrani as 6RTR attempt to crush the last resistance from 1st and 2nd Libyan Divisions in the dunes to the east of the town.

The first (of hopefully many!) After Action Reports using Get Your Frickin' Tentacle Out Of My Face: the IABSM sci-fi variant from the TFL Christmas Special 2009. Here, a brave rapid reaction force is ordered to "Hold until Overrun" in the face of insectoid assault from The Hive. Epic stuff!

A playtest AAR from Charles Eckart. For those interested in CDS, Rich has now sent the rules to the printers, and expects to have them on sale sometime within the next six weeks. Exciting stuff!

A fantastic I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! AAR from Softie02: US Paratroops in action in Normandy. Plenty of pictures, great terrain!

Well I thought Salute was pretty good this year. Spent far too much money, naturally, but had a very good afternoon in the pub with the rest of the Lardies:

I've added a link to the press release and a sample spread to the Operation Compass booklet, so you can now see what you are getting!

I've added the photographs of the Aphids: frog-like aliens largely from Zombiesmith. Unfortunately I'm having a bit of a mare with my photos at the moment: I had the camera perfectly set up to take pictures using normal light bulbs, but now we've switched to energy efficient ones  I can't get the colour balance right! So apologies, and I will replace them all in due course.

The "Operation Compass" scenario pack is now available!

Fox Killed In Open!

Cruise the Blue with Robert Avery's latest pdf scenario booklet for "I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!"

An extensive history of the Italian invasion of Egypt and the British response: Operation Compass, the Five-Day Raid that turned into a campaign. Set between June 1940 and early February 1941, the booklet contains twenty-three unique scenarios for “I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum!” including attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, desperate defences, and the types of action typical of desert warfare: tank vs tank and tank vs gun battles.

From the 11^th Hussars’ initial reconnaissance and harassment missions; through to the assaults on the network of Italian camps in the Western Desert; the Australian assaults on Bardia, Tobruk and Derna; and on to the thrilling climax at Beda Fomm, you’ll encounter British, Australians and Italians of all shapes and sizes.

Each scenario contains a background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, unpack your figures, set up the table, and away you go!

Operation Compass contains the following scenarios: 

1. The Road to Fort Capuzzo; 

2. The Battle of Girba

3. The Invasion of Egypt

4. Nibeiwa

5. Tummar West

6. Tummar East

7. Alam el Dab

8. Sidi Barrani

9. Buq Buq

10. The Road From Fort Capuzzo

11. Bardia One

12. Bardia Two

13. Bardia Three

14. Tobruk One

15. Tobruk Two

16. Tobruk Three

17. Mechili

18. Siret el Chreiba

19. The Derna Wadi

20. Sidi Saleh One

21. The Pimple One

22. The Pimple Two

23. Sidi Saleh Two

Other scenario books for IABSM from Robert Avery:

I have now uploaded two more playtest AARs from Lard Island's play-testing of Charlie Don't Surf. 

I've added details for Critical Mass Games' Marrok Walkers: medium walkers to support the Protolene Khanate infantry.

The image below doesn't really do justice to the size of this thing, but a 15mm infantryman comes in at under the walker's knee height!

I've added details for Khurasan's excellent new "space wasps", the Vespulid Swarm, to the Hive Army Lists. Got to get me some of these!

aka

GYFTOOMF

If there is such a thing as trends in wargaming, then 15mm science-fiction is currently it. The last year or so has seen an explosion in the range and variety of figures available: the mainly human ranges already existent have been joined by Aphids, Quar, Spugs, Garn, Karkarines, Felids, Dracon, Blarad and Greys to name but a few.

In the TooFatLardies 2009 Xmas Special, I wrote a sci-fi adaptation of IABSM so that I could play with all my new sci-fi toys. Although you'll need the 2009 Xmas Special article to play the game, here is the start of a host of useful support material, along with the usual Army Gallery and AAR sections.

I have now uploaded the four playtest AARs from Lard Island's play-testing of Charlie Don't Surf. Very exciting stuff!

I will soon (next few days) be adding a whole new section to Vis Lardica, dedicated to Get Your Frickin' Tentacle Out Of My Face: the IABSM Sci-Fi variant from the Christmas Special 2009. Army lists and an army gallery will be first up.

A few more Italians added: Motociclisti and the first of the Fucilieri. Have now got a bit distracted painting Felids: 15mm sci-fi figures from Khurasan.

Heads up for my next scenario book: Operation Compass. Should be available within the next couple of weeks. Twenty-three early war scenarios for the Western Desert: time to dust off those Italians!

Last of the holiday Italians posted. Now it's back to the usual grind of painting when I can. :(

Doubtless inspired by the imminent arrival of Charlie Don't Surf, I have now uploaded pictures of my NVA force. Only about a company's worth, but more than enough to cause trouble for the Yanks! 

I have now also uploaded the remaining pictures of my WW2 US rifle and armoured rifle companies. Just some more Italians to do now!