A blast from the past... Or is it the future?... The passed future?

Warhammer 30k also known as The Horus  Heresy. 

Has been played in out club now for a few years on and off. But reciently with Forge worlds throwing some coal on the fire, and releasing books and miniture in huge waves. It has really taken off. 

And I must admit, although not being Games Workshops co. most devote fan, I do love the "fluff" behind The Horus Heresy, (I mean any future space race that takes on a millennia old military formations (roman legions), just makes me moist!). And I find it so much more inviting than 40k ever did. 

Now if you have looked at my blog before you will know I mainly play historical games. But I am a sucker for a good ride on a band wagon! 

I play Wargames because I like to out mini men and big tanks on the table, make silly noises and have a laugh. Laughing is one thing I have lost from historical gaming recently. And noticing some of my club member playing a campign every week, with some sweet looking minis and all having an amazing time. I simply couldn't resist any longer! 

I'm doing it small atm... Well when I say small, in doing it as large as the grumpy bank man will let me. Sooo in small chunks to be precise. 

So welcome to my one of many band wagons, is not the first and deffinatly won't be the last! 

So I'm starting with the  XVIII Leigion the Salamanders. Originally it was going to be the Iron Warriors, but wow those guys are boaring! 

As soon as I seen the sneek preview of Vulkans model, I went all week at the knees. And new they were the Legion for me. Although they acording to the fluff the stuggled to take part in the Horus Hersy after Istivan, I am lucky that my friend who runs the campaigns in the club has agreed to bend the future historical facts a little. 

So with out further delay. Here is what I'm working on: 

Firstly the tank! A Pre Heresy Predator

A very cool kits, a lot of fun to assemble (a few fiddley parts, but over all good).

And a WIP legionary. 

I will do a post seperatly for everything I'm painting up. 

Hope you all enjoy

Regards 

It's got to look good, to play good

I am a bit of a sucker for good terrain. If a table I'm playing on looks crap, my experience will be crap. 

As one of the tournament organisers of the Bolt Action Welsh Open. 

One of the things at the top of my agenda eah year, is making sure the players have good terrain on which to rage war. 

So here is some of the pieces I am working on/ have made in the past. 

An orchard. 

Some fields. I am not a fan of just plonking down a bit of core Matt and calling it a wheat feild. So I base them on 1ft x 1ft boards. It also allows you to donaome funky stuff with them. 

An allotment, with a very fruitful apple tree. (See what I did there) 

And this is 4ft of a 6ft landing strip, that will be on a pacific themed board. 

As always, hope you like.

Please feel free to comment. 

Regards 

It lives.... It lives... Muwhahahaha!!!

The frankanstine of my Wargaming collection, has been revived moments before being turned into a wrecked objective marker. 

A few months ago I purchased a stunning Die Waffenkammer IS-2 from Stuart at Great Escape games. 

I had waited a couple of weeks, but finally it arrived all excited. I took strait home gave it a loving bath, in some warm soapy water, and left it to dry thoughruly. 

The next day I approved the amazing creature and did some tinkering, and some gluing. And set about with a can of Army Painter primer green. The glee on my face as it looked perfect was somthing to behold. So I patiently left it to dry over night. 

The next day after a hard day at work I approved the model with anticipation of the paint work to come when..... I found it in a heap of flackie mess. My first time learning of the problems that so may before me hav found. With a sad face and a flash of anger, I decided I would strip it an start again. 

I placed it my strip pot with my usual paint and varnish remover, that has worked so well on other models. I left it to work it's magic. 

But somthing tells me 3 weeks is far too much magic, forgotten about under the sink, the tanks was attacked by the harsh substance. As I remembered it I rushed to the cupboard to find an IS-2 unlike any other. It had a barrel that dropped like a sad puppy's ears, and details that pressed like sponge. 

I though all was lost, but I was the model off, and left it dry in view for a few weeks, wondering if I could revive it in anyway. Thoughts of plasticard and green stuff raced through my thoughts at each glance. But on Friday, I had the air brush out, and I decided to give it one last chance, I had nothing to lose.

As I had not striped the tracks they were fine and painted up lovely. 

I replaced the barrel with a bit of plastic rod, I am not 100% happy with, but is far greater than the droppy puppy look. 

A few hours later this is my result.... 

A lot of battle damage but that what I like from an IS-2. 

Hope you like it.

I am 90% happy with the final resalult. 

Regards

Somewhere in Northern France...

Yesterday 5th July, saw is play a huge battle, whilst we continue to play test the rules from the salute game. It's a very fun game, and easy to pick up. And lends it's  self to big multiplayer armoured battles amazingly. 

Amongst the boccage and farm land that stretch between villages of northan France. A great battle raged. A meeting engagement of key objective, to be taken at all costs. 

Elements of the britsh brake out force from D-Day started pushing on let objectives to gain a foot hold in Europe. 

In the North west, a German infantry brigade supported by Pak 40s and a Marder set themselves up to ambush a unknown collumb of Alies advancing toward the town. 

A Pak 40 conceals it's self in a shed. Knocking out the Churchill below. 

The brigade was left to defend the german armies forward operation base, a hotel secured in the fall of France. 

As the attack came, british mechanised convoys start led poring towards all of the strategic possistion on the map. Securing the village with ease, infantry units a Firefly and Cromwell hunkered down, with orders to hold the village at all coat. 

Realising what was happening the German FOB sprang into action, calling up renfocments as quickly as possible. 

The right wing of the German reineforcements push into the town, to try and dislodge it's new inhabitants, which would prove to be a much harder task than the first thought. 

As the left wing of German reinforcements rushed to help defend the FOB, their heavy tanks got bogged down by the rough farm ground. 

The Defenders at the fob were atleast overwhelmed by British armored vehicles well supported by infantry. Then the message came over the radio for the FOB to evacuate. The Reinforcement push hard to stop the Alied advance before it gains anymore ground. 

As the Alies come into site, a barrage of AT shots rains down on them, from a group of panzers hull down along the easterly road. 

Dissolution strikes the Alied forces hard as the Stark reality hits home that this is tiger country and they are finding their mark. 

Back at the village the infantry take a firmer grip over it, with Panzer and Firefly trading blow for blow in the streets around them. 

A courageous Cromwell tank, sneeks around the flank of an approaching Tiger tank. 

As the Tiger support is brought up to the town, more british vehicle are being lost. The infantry try their best to disrupt the vicious tanks with piat and grenades. 

 

As the Alies tighten their grip on the key objectives, all seemed lost, apart from a vital cross roads to the East where a squad of infantry and recconacence Puma, hold on and follow orders to the bitter end. 

In the end, it was a major Alied victory. The Panzer and Infantry elements in the area forces to retreat and regroup.

A final tally of the outcome: British armour suffered terrible losses, losing a Churchill, 2 Fireflies and 4 Cromwells, but the infantry suffered light casualties in securing the eastern outskirts, hotel, crossroads and part of Cuverville. 

The Germans lost 3 Pumas, a Marder, 3 Panzer IV's and their infantry company was effectively destroyed. They controlled the farmhouse and the west of Cuverville but were forced to retreat from the village before their remaining armour was mopped up by the British infantry which totally controlled the east end and were awaiting the arrival of the remaining British armour.

Overall a very good fun game, with the advantage swinging from side to side. 

I expect a lot from this rules system, for many things. Simplicity, fun and the chance to get all my toys on the table. 

I will be play testing this agin on Thursday night, seeing how it plays on a 6x4table 1vs1. I will write a small report after that.

Thanks for reading

Regards

A little bit of C-Bax persuasion **updated** **Again**

So as a Bolt Action player and Tournament Organiser I follow with anticipation all of the big BA forums podcasts ect, you know the ones I'm taking about. Boltaction.net is a regular visit for me, and as I have a bit of a soviota groove on atm C-Bax stuff have really inspired me. 

Some tanks riders, for a list I'm planning on using this month. Along with the OT-34/85 they are riding on. 

More on these to come... 

And here is the more I promised... 

Squad 2

As always hope you like.

Regards,

Woof, woof boom! **Updated**

So on my little Soviet Union blots atm, I have been doing some cutting and shutting ect.... 

So for the game on the 19th of July, I'm looking at running these in a list with a lot of tanks, all in the name of fun :-) 

'In 1924, the Revolutionary militay Council of the Soviet Union approved the use of dogs for military purposes, which included a wide range of tasks such as rescue, delivery of first aid, communication, tracking mines and people, assisting in combat, transporting food, medicine and injured soldiers on sledges, and detonation of enemy targets. For these purposes, a specialized dog training school was founded in the Moscow Oblast. Twelve regional schools were opened soon after, three of which trained anti-tank dogs.

The Soviet Army had no dedicated dog trainers, therefore they recruited hunters and circus and police dog trainers. Several leading animal scientists were also involved, in order to help organize a wide-scale training program. German Shepard dogs were favored for the program for their physical abilities and ease of training, but other breeds were used as well. The idea of using dogs as mobile mines was developed in the 1930s, together with the dog-fitting mine design. In 1935, anti-tank dog units were officially included in the Soviet Army.'

As promised **update** with painted pictures. Hope you all like. 

Thanks as always

Fox trot down, fox trot is down

Put this airfix plane together when warlord first brought out the warplane rules but soon lost interest in it. 

The other day, I was tiding up the man cave the other day, and accidentally stepped on it. And then the thought came to me. Objective Marker! 

And in scraped this together... 

With a few added touches... 

Not sure about putting decals on it yet.  I may just leave it plain though. 

Thanks for looking