A Canadian VC (Or Three)

It's always nice to welcome a new player to your favourite set of rules, so I was very pleased to be invited round to new-to-IABSM Paul's house for a game. 

Here is the report of how we played the "A Canadian VC" scenario from the IABSM3 rulebook not once, not twice, but three times in a row. I'm shattered!

A Bird in the Trees

Operation Compass

My final scenario pack updated for IABSM3 takes us to Libya and the opening phase of the war in the Western Desert: Operation Compass.

More of my mid- and late-war Germans. I'm still not happy with the late war camouflage...but I'm getting happier!

The Road to Scoglitti

The Biazza Ridge

It's off to Sicily for two great AARs covering battles from the Sicilian Weekend scenario pack.

First, Brian Cantwell takes us along the Road to Scoglitti, where US Airborne troops take on Tigers with nothing more than grit and determination.

Secondly, Robert Avery (i.e. me) follows the fortunes of the same paratroopers as they fight for their lives along the Biazza Ridge. The Tigers are on the rampage again!

Action at Grise Farm

The Great Rice Hunt

Playing the Beanball

Two Charlie Don't Surf  after action report from Benito in Spain:

Die Hards!

Sicilian Weekend

and

Anzio: Wildcat to Whale

The next two scenario packs updated for IABSM3 Sicilian Weekend (Operation Husky) and Anzio: Wildcat to Whale:

One more whacky French unit! This time anti-tank guns mounted on trucks:

Two After Action Reports today. One from the pen of the Last Hussar features one of the scenarios included in the new IABSM3 rulebook. The other is my first game of IABSM3, using one of the "IABSM3 compatible" scenarios from the newly revised Vyazma or Bust scenario pack.

The Outskirts of Vyazma:

Vets Neuter Big Cats

Bloody Burma

The next scenario pack updated for IABSM3 is "Bloody Burma". 

"Bloody Burma" contains an extensive history of the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1941/2, accompanied by twenty-four unique, company-level scenarios designed for “I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum!” but easily adaptable to other systems. It includes attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, fighting retreats, ambushes, and even an attempt to rescue POW’s!

“Bloody Burma” begins gently with a couple of infantry-only actions in the jungles of southern Burma, but rapidly progresses to full scale combined arms warfare (infantry, tanks, artillery and aircraft) on the plains and in the dense woods around Rangoon. Finally, the action moves to the high ground and river valleys to the north of Burma , as British, Indian and Chinese troops desperately try and hold off the rampaging Japanese for long enough to make their getaway!

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! There's plenty of information given with each scenario, allowing easy conversion to other systems.

"Bloody Burma " contains the following scenarios: Operation Yacht; Kawkareik; Moulmein ; Paung; Kuzeik; Danyingon; The Yinon Road; Bilin; Pagoda Hill; Mokpalin; Payagyi; Pegu; Taukkyan; Pyuntaza; Henzada; Kyungon; Shwedaung; Kokkogwa; Myingun; Yenangyaung; Htuchaung; Kyaukse; Monywa; and Shwegyin.

A couple of my "finally photographed" Later War German tanks. A Panther and a Bergepanzer ARV.

Another set of three: this time three updates Army Galleries. Click on pictures to see the whole gallery.

First up are some Battlefront French. With the launch of the Blitzkrieg book, they brought out all these weird and wonderful units...and these are a prime example. These are Autocannon de 75mm mounted on De Dion trucks. I'm not sure how long they'll last on the battlefield, but I do love the look!

Next we have some more later German panzers: this time Panzer III Ns. These are Battlefront again, but I'm not really happy with the paint job. The base coat has too much dunkel and not enough gelb, and the stripes are a bit 'in your face'! Might be time to invest in another Zug...

Finally, some sci-fi figures. These are Felid jetbikes from Khurasan Miniatures. Absolutely fantastic figures, although I'm afraid the photo doesn't really do them justice. Paint up really nicely as well...I can't wait to get them onto the tabletop.

Fall of the Lion Gate

The next scenario pack updated for IABSM3 is "Fall of the Lion Gate". From the original press pack:

Make sure you can Banzai! with the best of them this Christmas with Robert Avery's latest pdf scenario booklet for "I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!". 

An extensive history of the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore accompanied by twenty-one unique scenarios for "I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!" including attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, an opposed landing, ambushes, fighting retreats, and even a last stand! 

"Fall of the Lion Gate" contains the following scenarios: Kota Bahru; Ban Sadao; The Ledge; Jitra; Gurun; Grik Road; Kota Tampan; Kampar; Kuantan; Slim River; Muar; Bakri; Batu Pahat; Mersing; Layang Layang; Airstrip Road; Kranji Peninsular; Bukit Timah; Jurong Road; Nee Soon; and Pasir Panjang. 

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! 

Three After Action Reports posted today, all of which have previously been posted on the TFL Yahoo Group. Click on the pics to see them.

First up is the report from a game held at Stockholm Spelkonvent: a thrilling tale of two iron crosses!

Then it's a Vietnam game from Brian Weatherby held at Milleniumcon 14 using the first scenario from the Surf's Up scenario pack.

Finally, Max Maxwell reports on his last game of IABSM2...before, of course, moving on to IABSM3!

IglooCon 2011

Our Penguin friends report on their first game of IABSM3: a demo game at Igloo Con 2011.

Vyazma or Bust

The next scenario pack updated for IABSM3 is "Vyazma or Bust". 

Set in Russia in the autumn of 1941, Vyazma or Bust  contains over a dozen scenarios that may be played individually, or for greater enjoyment as part of a linked campaign: 126 pages of high quality wargaming. 

L'Abbaye Blanche

An AAR and some photographs from Brain Cantwell: his first game of IABSM3.

WW2 Later War Germans

I've started posting pictures of my later war Germans. I hate painting camouflage, and prefer playing the early war period, so have avoided any figures like these before...but I got tempted by the Plastic Soldier Company Panzer IVHs (pictured below) at £15 for five tanks. 

Painting the pea dot camo was a bit of a pain, but I'm fairly happy with the results. Now to work out how to do the earlier stripey patterns!

WW2 Italians

Some more great Italians from Battlefront:  Autocannone da 102/35 (102mm naval gun mounted on a 6-ton FIAT 634N truck)

Vietnam First Blood

Some photographs of their first game of Charley Don't Surf from the Lardies of Madrid.

The Defence of Calais

Following the recent release of IABSM v3, I am working my way through the seven scenario packs I have written for the game, updating them in line with the changes to the rules and terminology used. Note that the scenarios are all easily usable with IABSM v1, v2 or v3 (or indeed with any company level WW2 rules): I just want to make sure that they are as easy to use as possible.

First  to be completed is The Defence of Calais: 14 scenarios centred around the BEF's ill-fated defence of Calais, France, 1940.

St Colonne

Another superb AAR from Richard Clarke introducing the new third edition IABSM rules. 

This time it's a tank-focussed game that introduces the new Aces concept.

Early War German Panzers

Some German armoured cars added to the Army Galleries.

Operation Charnwood

Richard Clarke describes how he put together the scenario for an Operation Charnwood game, then gives us a cracking After Action Report.

The Protolene Khanate

The Garn

And back to the 15mm sci-fi: more Felids for the Garn - Prideguard and some robot scanners; and some more Scouts for the Protolene Khanate.

The Aphids were still badly in need of some air power, so I have changed my mind about them having drones, and decided that their air assets are a bit more advanced than their ground troops: they have bought in better technology than they have invented themselves. The Aphids now have two types of aircraft: Lilypad-class single-Aphid fighters (featured as part of the 2nd September update) and Tadpole-class two-seater bombers. Both models are from Spartan Games' sci-fi fleet battle game Firestorm Armada.

Here are the Tadpole-class bombers: 

I Ain't Been Lucky, Or Opportunistic, Mum!

The Fight For Amen Corner

Richard Clarke introduces IABSM3 with two battle reports taken from the playtesting process.

The Protolene Khanate

Fallschirmjaegers Get Very Bloodied

James Mantos introduces a nephew to the noble art of IABSM: a great battle report proving once again that you should never wargame with children or animals.

Air power is proving an important part of the new, full-length version of the sci-fi rules based on IABSM that I'm writing. With that in mind, I thought I'd better reinforce my ground troops with a selection of aerial drones: sort of uber-Predators.

All the drones, below, come from Spartan Games' excellent range of starships for their Firestorm Armada game. They paint up very easily, and I would highly recommend them to people looking for this kind of thing. Each of the drone models, below, is about 3-4cms long, so ideal 15mm drone size. So, for my sci-fi armies, we have...

Lilypad Drones for the Aphids: 

Stalker Drones for the Felids:

And Cone Drones for the Spug contingent of the Hive:

Those of you who have followed some of the AAR on this site will know what a pain this type of drone has proved to me in the past: time to arrange a game with Neil for payback!

The Soviets

There's been a lot of talk recently on whether the plastic figures available from companies such as the Plastic Soldier company or Zvezda are any good. Well, I thought I would try out some of the Zvezda Katyusha rocket launchers to see what I thought. Here is a picture of four Katyushas: three of them are plastic models from Zvezda, one of them is Battlefront.

For a model that is going to be on the tabletop less than almost never, the Zvezda plastics are easily adequate. They snapped together in seconds (by the third model, I was building and gluing the kit together in under 15 minutes!) and paint up very nicely as well. Do be a little careful when dry-brushing as the thin plastic does not seem as durable as metal, but I got through without anything breaking.

The best thing? The price! I got all three plastic kits, including postage and packing, for under a tenner! I shall certainly be investigating their other stuff: especially for "tail" equipment such as trucks.

NB  The infantry figures in the photo above are either Battlefront or Old Glory. The Zvezda kits come without any crew.

Aphids vs Protolene Khanate

Last Tuesday I took the full version of the sci-fi rules over to Lard Island HQ for a playtest there. You can see the AAR here by clicking on the photograph , below:

Pelagic Dominate vs The Hive

A short AAR from the second full playtest of the full version of the sci-fi rules.

The Hive must hold their position for a randomly generated length of time in the face of sustained attack from the Pelagic Dominate.

The Vornid 

from Khurasan Miniatures

&

Slishians

from Hydra Miniatures

One of the great things about gaming in 15mm is that you can fit more toys onto the tabletop. This is especially relevant when talking about any game involving modern day guns: a quick comparison between ground scale and effective weapon ranges should give all guns (from sidearms to anti-tank to artillery)  the ability to shoot the length of the table and more.

More toys on the tabletop means that you can fight company-sized games with ease, so it's quite annoying that many ranges of 15mm sci-fi figures still seem to be designed for squad-level skirmish games: yes, they have infantry squads; but no, they don't have support weapons, higher level command figures etc. Try playing a WW2 game using only the figures available in many sci-fi ranges as proxies...it doesn't work!

So you have to work round this, which is why Khurasan's Vornids, already supported by their Fungoids as artillerymen, are now commanded and up-gunned by Hydra Miniatures Slishians. Seven foot of malevolent vegetation: what's not to love?

The Aphids 

from a variety of manufacturers

Well, I seem to be going sci-fi mad at the moment!

The new IABSM-variant rules are now in final playtesting, and I'm painting up units right, left and centre to get as many different combinations of troops on to the table as soon as possible.

Here are some tanks for the Aphids. They are from Blue Moon Manufacturing, ordered via special order from Old Glory UK. Very efficient service, so highly recommended.

The tanks are great: they have a certain "frogginess" about them that fits in well with the Aphids. 

The tanks come as one fuselage, the rear turret, and separate "eye turbines" and gun. The turbines and gun need some work to fit and glue them into place, but the models paint up very well with plenty of raised detail to take a good dry-brush. The tanks also come with very good flight stands.

One minor gripe: the raw fuselage has a (human) skull design on the bit between the "eye turbines" that I had to green-stuff over to make a dome. I'm sure that skulls are lovely as tank decorations, but they do then rather limit you to using them for human-based forces!

Protolene Khanate 

from Critical Mass Games

A couple more units added: a second platoon of Hunter infantry; the Predator Communications/Electronic Warfare Ayame battlesuit variant; and a squad of Predator Ayame Assault battlesuits: the one's with the big jet engines on their backs!