The Relaunch

The Relaunch

Yes, it is , actually.

After about a year of neglect i have finally decided to come back to this strange creation of mine. The main problem was deciding what to do on it. I considered just keeping to the war-games front, but the general theme that latches onto my generation still hangs above like a waiting Stuka, so the final decision has been to also provide my thoughts on those computerised war-games. Below is a list of the most likely reoccurring characters.

From of darkest depths of Swedish micromanagement, The Paradox Development s Studio Series

Starring

Europa Universalis IV - a game of nations from 1444-1821

 -Conquest of Paradise

 -Wealth of Nations

 -Res Publica

Victoria II  -a game of empire from 1836-1936

 - A House Divided

 - A Heart of Darkness

Hearts of Iron III -a game of  the Second world war. 1936-1948

  - Their Finest Hour

  - For the Motherland

The Eugen Systems "Wargame" Series

Wargame: European Escalation (1975-1985) The Cold War heats up on the German Plains in this stunning RTS.

Wargame: Airland Battle (1975-1985) The Cold War Spreads the far north, and aircraft enter the gameplay.

Wargame: Red Dragon (1975-1990's) Conflict Sparks in the Far east as naval vessels and stunning marine landings enter the game.

On the tabletop, the them shifts slightly. My preferred scale is small, usually, 6mm. (mainly because it's very cheap and easy to paint, and I don't have the patience to paint anything larger. The Father does though, though his time is more "expensive".  Rule wise, WW2 is easily covered with a copy of Blitzkrieg Commander II. The Napoleonic's are disputed, with current support in the one-party state of "Colours and Guns" which was purchased on a whim at Salute 2013 ( I'm sure I told dad to get Baccus, but I have no regrets.) However the extremely high level Snappy Nappy lingers. We are also venturing into two new frontiers, A Very British Civil War.( which I assume you've heard of ), and Pre-dreadnought Naval (which may be something else). Rules are completely undecided.

This was the idea . . .

6mm Armies

British

  - BEF 1940. Infantry Brigade with Infantry Tank Support and Cruisers.

  - 8th Army 1940-1942. Armoured Brigades for all available tanks, with 1 Infantry Battalion.

  - British Army NWE 1944 -1945 Large collection bought in the 90's by the big T (dad) and repainted and based recently.

German.

 -France/Russia -  2 Panzer Battalions, and at least a full Panzer-grenadier Regiment.

 - Africa - 2 Panzer Battalions, 1 Italian Tank Battalion, and 2 Axis infantry Battalions.

 -Late War 1944/45.  Large collection bought in the 90's by the big T (dad) and repainted and based recently.

Russian

 - Enough variety to cove the entire war. (I hope)

10mm

Peninsula War British.

- 10 British Infantry Battalions

- 8 Allied Infantry Battalions

- 2 Dragoon Regiments

- Guns

French Imperial Army

- 17 French Infantry Battalions

- 4 Cavalry Regiments

- Guns

<WIP> Austrian Army (Still in Box) 

15mm

- <WIP> AVBCW BUF Milita

- <WIP> AVBCW  Anglican League Milita

1:2400 

Pre Dreadnought British Fleet (awaiting postage)

Pre Dreadnought French Fleet (awaiting postage)

That's all for now folks, stick around though!

Desert encounter - British Versus Italians

BKC game two- Encounter Battle British vs. italians. Forces were

British -

1x Co(8)
1x Hq (7)
1x Hq (8)
FAO (7)
1x Scout Carrier
12x Infantry
1x Vickers
1x 2 Pounder
1x 3- inch Mortar
1x Engineers
2x Vickers VI
3x A9
2x A10
3x A13
2x Matilda II
1x A10 CS
25 pdr 8 gun
1 carrier

Breakpoint: 15

Italians

Co (8)
HQ (7)
HQ (8)
FAO(6)
2x AB-40/41
3 regulars
6 vetran
2 breda
2 47mm atg
1x 81mm mortar
1x 65mm ig
4x L3-35
8x M13-40
1x 100-105mm artillery
11x trucks

breakpoint- 15



The table

The italians got the first move and raced forward on the left ,their belesgari infantry reaching the rise of the british right.

The Italians reach the hill. The light tank at the front is a stand in for a L3/35



M13/40s reach the Pass on the road. Mix of GHQ and Heroics & Ros

The British counter this by storming forward with the Cruisers and the Infantry, (with two double ones!) coming within range of each other

British tanks catch the flank of the Italians

.



The british also deploy a 2 Pounder on the crest of the large hill, and the Matildas fail to show up, which leads us to.  . .

Turn 2

The Italians march their tankettes up the hill and are suppressed by the 2 pounder at short range.

The italians deploy their 47mm ATG and suppress a Vickers light tank. The M13/40's also destroy two A9's and force the third to pop up smoke.

If in doubt, hide behind a cloud of Cotton!

The italians dismount their infantry and take fire from two Vickers VI which make up the British flank



The Vickers VI's destroy a lone L3-35

The British fight back by shelling the Enemy Tanks, which causes a bit of carnage as 25 pounder shots destroy 1 M13 and suppress the rest on the hill.

The italians take heavy fire from the flank.

The infantry continues to advance across the open desert, but the Matilda's still refuse to move into battle.

Turn 3

The small italian infantry unit with the tanks fails to move again, and when the tanks do fire they face carnage from the British  on all sides.

Having been forced to split by threats from the British Formations the italians take heavy fire.

However, on the british right the flank the 2 pounder and a Vickers tank are knocked out leave little for anti tank defence for the Infantry.

Light tanks under heavy fire.

The Italian Artillery also gets in, Hitting the british Infantry as it climbs the hill.

However, during the British turn the Italians tanks remain stuck on a hell's highway, their tanks too suppressed to fire back at the British.

Stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time- Italians in a Crossfire

The Infantry fails to move, but the Matilda's are inspired to charge forward ....

Matilda's take fire as they cross the battlefield.

Turn 4

the Italians  attempt to move their infantry forward to support the tanks, but they are hit by A13's on the hill and forced to dismount

The italian Infantry Company is forced to dismount from their transport

The Tanks fail to get a command through, and the infantry, in true Italian style, pull back from the hill and decide that Benghazi looks more favourable than Alexandria. The Italians don't look very hopeful of victory now, even though the Mortar has taken out a few infantry units lately. . .

The British still churn up Italian Tanks, taking three out in one go , as the Matilda's hurry across to give a coup de grace . . .

Beware the Wrath of the Matilda . .

At this point my old man calls it quits and goes upstairs for a cup of tea,arguing that british armour of the left would eventually chew up his entire force. Fat chance!

Final Score
British 8/15
Italians 9/15

Basetex

The basetex arrived last week and I was too busy moving furniture over the weekend to post the pictures of the newly painted items so here they are!

Panzers watch the British crest the hill as the remains of German infantry fall back.

A Squadron of 'I' tanks crests the hill, supported by infantry

Crusier's advance along the flanks (all GHQ)

British infantry scales a mountain to escort an FAO allowing him to bring down fire on. .  .

The unsuspecting Battery of Artillery guns!

Painting table tales, episode 1-intro

Yes, I'm showing the world how I do the jobs. (well considering how my dad paints them because most of the stuff was painted by my dad when he was my age, but who cares?)

Currently in the workshop.

Earlt was British RTr, with 2Pounder attached.(GHQ and H&R) also shown is  part of a Panzer unit(GHQ), a 25mm(GHQ), and various command units.

Clos up of RTR. the tanks are first base coated black, then Tamiya field grey is added, and a darked field grey is added as well. They will be finished with a tamiya weathering kit.

GHQ panzer 1's to accompany my GHQ panzer II's, III's and IV's. Painted German grey.

The eagle-eyed viewer will have noticed the Iberian buildings in the rear. This is because of a recent purchase of  Magisiter Militum's colours and guns, along with 2 armies, The redcoats and the Eagles.

BKC commander battle number 1- the Shock at Kamenewo, October 1941

This is the first published BKC battle, a engagment based on the battle when Soviet forces psuhed Guderian's panzers of the moscow road. The forces consisted of


German_
2x panzer II
6x Panzer III 50mm short
2x Panzer IV 75mm short
1x Panzer III 37mm
 1 kradschützen battalion(9inf, 1mg,1 mortar, 1 pak38, 7 one 75mm IG in motorcycles and trucks)+ A bridging column
2x inf ,1 mg & 1 ** (all in half-tracks)
Breakpoint :13

Soviets
5x T-34 (early)
1x Kv-1
4x BT7
10 infantry,
9 trucks
2 mg
2 mortars
1 76mm IG
T-26
1x 45mm ATG
Breakpoint:13

4 infantry, 1 mortar, the T-26 and the 45mm are dug in at the start


Unfortuantly someone deleted the pics for most of the Report (that's what younger siblings do) so i'll have the describe it. The real battle is detailed here

Turn 1

The german tanks belatedly advanced once, whilst the motorcyclists storm forward to the river & dismount to cover the construction of the bridge. No action from  russians.


Turn 2

The armoured formation is held up buy partisans blowing the road as a unit of Panzer advanced (Blunder) and therfore little is done. The Motorcycles consolidate on the russian bank of the river.

Turn 3

The panzer, still slightly timid, advance slowly to the river bank. The motorcyclists cross the river and advance quite quickly to the BUA at the end of the crest. The Russians strike back by knocking the infantry gun out on a double order.

Turn 4

The Panzers suddenly decide that getting to Moscow is more important than afternoon tea and corss the river, blowing the T-26 out of it's position on the Moscow road.  The motorcyclist reqroup and dismount in the town, watching the open below.

kradschützen advance!

Turn 5

 The Panzers, in their new wave of Patriotism,split in two, one group surge for the railway line, the other bombarding the mesmerised russian defenders.

A slightly blurred image of the russians getting whacked to pieces. The yellow things are order markers.

The motorcyclist get their only fail & suddenly the first russian reinforcement arrives: 4 BT7 tanks, they only make one order though.

Here come the cavalry . . . . bit slow though

Turn 6

panzer slightly overreach themselves, racing round the  forests on the left and along the railway line . . .  the othe Panzergruppe crests the hill and  readies themselves for the onslaught.

 The russians react by storming forward with their tanks, now supported by 5 T-34's. . .

For the Motherland!

Turn 7

 The Panzer's now break through, nearly reaching the table edge and not amusing my fellow player.The   russians continue with their attack to be hit by murderous fire form both tanks, an 88 and the infantries Pak 38.

Open fire!

I'm pretty sure that that's not good. . .

After this a slightly disgruntled dad called it quits, leaving the Germans in command of the Moscow road

British Battlegroup January 1941

Hello again, And this is a preview of my battlegroup for 1800 points (200 points minus random points modifier.

The full Battlegroup

The armoured formation. The cruiser tanks are GHQ and the MkVI light tanks are H&R.The HQ is a GHQ carrier.

 Infantry battalion. Soldiers , guns and universal carrier are Heroics and Ros. Bren carrier (the larger one) and Matilda II's are GHQ.

Co & support units. All H&R. ( I put artillery units on the edge of the table so show what they are) Red symbols & numbers are for recognition.

Hello!

Hello out there to the other 8th of the world who have the same intrest as me, And welcome, This is my first try at this sort of thing, so wish me luck (or not.. .)

Coming soon. . .

- BKC Operation Compass
- BKC Russian Front
- BKC Overlord
- ok, i'lll say it , BKC everywhere!
- (and fire & Fury
Oh, forgot, they'll be Napoleonic's eventually


And now, to pass the time, some pictures from past games. . .