Hobby Update 30th June 2020

Still no games, but I am hoping to get one set up this evening.  I have pretty much finished my last batch of scheduled painting though: a few more figures and vehicles for my initial Cold War Gone Hot / Twilight 2000 set-up:

Some 15mm Modern US Infantry from Peter Pig, and some female militawomen from the same

More female militawomen

A UAZ-469, a Mercedes and a Toyota 4x4

And the whole lot together

I liked all the figures, in particular the modern US infantry, which are very nice sculpts.  I was quite pleased with how the camouflage pattern turned out.  For the militiawomen, I painted a third in US camouflage pattern, a third in Soviet uniforms and a third in random military/outdoor type colours, all of which should be useful for Twilight 2000-type stuff.  I just need to finish off the basing and then the cupboard is bare again (almost, anyway). 

Hobby Update 28th June 2020

It has been a bit of a dry spell for gaming recently (work, studies, builders in, illness), which I am hoping to get out of very soon, but I have managed to make a decent bit of progress on finishing off some bits and pieces.  I really am getting pretty close to 'done' now, and I think one more painting session will finish all the things I am actually going to do.  All that is left are a few orphan 28mm figures that I probably won't get out of the box until there is an actual project that involves using them... 

The last of my current set of flagbearers for my Thirty Years' War project: this time it is for the Danes, enough to do Lutter.

 

WW2 Italian and British infantry for the Western Desert (these are finished now), as are the accompanying vehicles (L3, A13, Panzer III, Panzer IV)

Two battalions of Napoleonic Italian Guards, two battalions of Neapolitan Guards (all finished now)

My box of random - some river boats and a couple of longships

This is right at the bottom of the lead pile now; various 28mm bits and pieces in various states...

Some VC from The Assault Group.  Not touching these until/unless I get some US or ANZAC opposition.

 

A couple of packs of Border Reivers from Reiver, undercoated and the first colours applied

A few random Space Marines, plus a couple of other SF figures, origin unknown

Some fantasy figures: some wood elf stag riders (left) which are painted but need a bit of repair, in the centre is a group of female adventurers from Oathsworn Miniatures, with just need basing.

A few Frostgrave Cultists in the foreground which I have repaired, just need to be put in the right box!  Behind them are WW2 figures from the Hour of Glory boardgame, supplemented with a couple of other WW2 figures (e.g. some Bad Squiddo Soviets).  I think there are some Pulp lady detectives behind them.

The packet contains the Wargames Factory' 28mm Female Apocalypse survivors: not sure what I am going to do with them, to be honest.

A few Horse for Per Broden's Charity Project

These are pretty much finished now, so should get them posted off in the next day or two

A few modern vehicles on the right (a UAZ, a Mercedes and a Toyota Hilux), with some 15mm modern US infantry, plus some militiawomen on the left (all Peter Pig)

Some modern vehicles from Battlefront's 'Team Yankee' range: from the left, a Humvee, a LAV-25, an M1, a T-72 and a BMP-2.

So, now the thing to do is to get this stuff onto the table!  Not sure what will get there first (which has been one of the problems), but after a gap, the key thing is to get something simple onto the table to get into the swing of it.  'Simple' for me is normally synonymous with 'Neil Thomas ruleset', so that is what is looking favourite, although Bob Cordery's 'Portable Wargame' would do just as well...

Death of 1 Tyneside Scottish - Escape from Ficheux

Escape From Ficheux:

This Nuts! scenario follows on from the Death of Tyneside Scottish I game, which re-fought in slightly stylized fashion the destruction of 1 Bn Tyneside Scottish at the hands of 8 Panzer Division in May 1940.  Although entirely finished as an organized unit, some survivors did escape and headed Northwest for what they imagined were the British lines, although I think a route bearing slightly NE of North might have served them better in reality.  Be that as it may, some of the groups managed to evade capture for a day or two, although no-one is known to have escaped in the end.

To recreate this, I put together this even more stylized scenario with the battalion commander (Lt-Col Swinburne), his command party and some elements of A Company trying to sneak/break through the German patrols to reach safety.  Because toy soldier world is more forgiving than real life, any Tynesiders who escape are deemed to reach intact British units and get to Dunkirk...

The Forces:
Lt-Col Swinburne, Rep 5, Revolver
RSM, Rep 5, Rifle
Adjutant, Rep 4, Rifle, Grenades

1 Sect / 1 Platoon / A Company:
Corporal, Rep 4, Rifle, Grenades
Bren Gunner, Rep 4, LMG
3 Riflemen, Rep 4, Rifle, Grenades
4 Riflemen, Rep 3, Rifle, Grenades

2 Sect / 1 Platoon / A Company:
Lance-Corporal, Rep 4, Rifle, Grenades
Rifleman, Rep 4, Rifle, Grenades
2 Riflemen, Rep 3, Rifle, Grenades

The Germans:
Investment Level: 5
All Germans are considered to be Rep 4
All Germans have "Patrol" orders

Other Scenario Rules:
British troops who go off the German side of the table are deemed to have escaped
There are no random booby traps or bombardments (ignore if generated)
The starting positions of the three British groups are randomly generated between the three starting zones.  The command group starts on turn 1, roll a D6 each for the other two groups to determine the turn number  when they arrive.

The Set-Up:

A patch of wooded farmland to the Northwest of FICHEUX.  The British will enter from the South (Right)

View through the woods from the German side of the table

Note the slope going up towards the centre of the German baseline (centre to left)

The Fight:

Swinburne and his command group move stealthily on the slope of the far hill to avoid any prying eyes in the building...

And move forward as far as they dare

1 Section patrols forward on the other side of the board

Swinburne moves forward, identifies German infantry in the stables (left) then ducks back before being seen (top-right)

1 Section patrol up to the edge of the patch of woodland

Swinburne is joined by the remnants of 2 Section

Whilst 1 Section takes up ambush positions at the hedge line whilst waiting for all of their men to form up

The British try to advance towards the stables but are spotted...

The sound of the MG34 rips the air...fortunately for the Tynesiders, without any effect, but the lead man is driven back into cover

The sound of the MG34 brings a German patrol forward...

"Corp...a jerry patrol!"

1 Section's Bren and Lee-Enfields open up, killing the German section commander and driving the MG34 team to seek cover in the woods

Taking advantage of the temporary advantage, 1 Section's Corporal tells the blokes in his rifle group to leg it over the open ground into the woods beyond!

Whilst his gun group continue to pummel the German section - a second man goes down (right)

The RSM takes charge: advancing, he gets the drop on the Germans - although he misses, his fire is close enough to briefly silence the German machinegun...

"That's the style, RSM", shots Swinburne as he and the Adj run forward and get to the hedgeline, and the RSM runs after them

Drawing breath for a second, Swinburne hears what he most feared...

...the clank of tracks!

1 Section notices it too!

Although the first men are across the hedge into the second wood

1 Section's gun group continues to lay down covering fire

Although the Panzer's machinegun cuts down one of the 1 Section riflemen, caught in the open

At least one survivor will make it!

The Adjutant throws his grenade, right into the stables...

...with devastating effect! Five of the Germans are killed and wounded and the remainder come pouring out...Swinburne pushes them down the road, knowing that they are in no position to take prisoners

Eeek! Here comes the Panzer...

One of the Tommies is killed instantly

"Go back? Impossible.  Go sideways?  No good at all".  The only thing to do is go on...Swinburne and the Adj advance...

Whilst the RSM and a couple of Tynesiders take cover on the other side of the building, with one slowcoach still catching up!

Swinburne's revolver gets some use at close quarters, and another German goes down (left, in front of hedge)

Whilst the remainder of 1 Section make a break across the fields!

The RSM and one of the Riflemen move forward to support (centre of hedge, hard to see); the fighting now at very close quarters!

The Panzer reverses then gets into a better position

The commander spots 1 section crossing and opens fire...

Another couple of Tynesiders fall

One of the Tynesiders chucked a grenade from the left into the woods, causing a couple of casualties.  The Adjutant then charges forward into the wood, but is knocked out by the German MG34 No.2 (centre)

The Tynesiders sprint to escape the trap (left)...

But the Panzer follows them and opens fire...(note the RSM and a Private by the hedge, centre)

Lt-Col Swinburne falls seriously wounded, only yards from safety...

The RSM and another Tynesider escape, knowing that to stop to help would be to die...

The last 2 section soldier tries to find an alternative way through the wood

Whilst the remainder of 1 Section have almost reached safety

The German infantry spot and shoot the last 2 Section soldier

The Panzer goes against 1 Section again, and fires at the Corporal...

But misses!  The British infantrymen run through the woods

And reach safety!

Game Notes:
Of the 16 Tyneside Scottish, 8 finally reached safety, 4 were killed and 4 were injured and captured.  The Germans lost 3 killed and 6 wounded.  It was an exciting game, I really didn't quite know how it was going to turn out!  I think the luckiest British moment was the grenade throw into the building causing so much damage; the luckiest German moment was generating the Panzer, which caused most of the damage.
Nuts! handles this kind of game very well: it suits this kind of section or two level much better than full platoons (IMHO) because the number and complexity of the in-sight and reaction tests can get a bit out of hand in busy games.  The only comment that I might make is about the lethality of weapons.  Weapons have a damage level ("impact"), and when a hit is scored a D6 is rolled, it is compared to this level.  A '1' kills, greater than 1 and equal to or lower than the damage level is a disabling wound and higher than the impact level is a near miss.  It is certainly a very playable and workable system but it causes some obvious anomalies.
Figures are a mixture of Plastic Soldier Company, Battlefront and Peter Pig.  The Panzer II is by Zvezda.