I just made my first Shapeways order. I ordered 2 items from Brigade Models, a 1/300 water tower and 2 sets of 3 Power Pylons. More on that when they arrive, I'll do a little review then.
1/300 I hear you think? Yup. As some of you may know I'm currently unemployed and without a steady flow of cash it seems a hobby comes last, while it is badly needed to relieve stress. Since spending money on models is really a nono when you ain't got none, I've been turning my eye to my rather substantial collection over the last year and looked at what could be sold off and what kept. In this manner I want to fund what I need for big games and demos and get my priorities straight (hobby wise that is)
One of those priorities is to cut down Big Games to 1/300 and smaller from now on (with an exception for Irish Big Games). In that scale it is rather cheap, I have loads of stuff from earlier times left and it does not take up a lot of space. My 20mm forces will be cut down to skirmish level for starters (max 30 troops, some vehicles) with expansions only after they have proven themselves. 1/600 will refocus back on airgames only. The only vehicles I need for that will be targets and AA defences. My 1/3000 naval assets are in a bit of a limbo. I got tons, with lots painted, but no opposition yet and rather clueless how to game this solo.
All of my GW and other assorted 28mm was already on the choppingblock and this just sharpend the blade some more. And there is plenty of other odd stuff to get rid off, so funds should not be too much of a problem for the forseaable future. If I find enough buyers of course.
Anyway, I've started to copy my 1985 Dutch in 1/300 which is going rather well. Well, 1980 to be exact cause I don't have and can't afford yet the GHQ YPR-765 family so they are all mounted in YP-408 variants, and I'm having much fun converting them to the correct types. I'll propably paint most of the stuff in one go so you won't see them anytime soon.
What I am hitting myself over the over is the fact I sold off my Cold War Commander book 2 years ago, and now I need it again. There is a lesson in this kids, don't sell rulebooks!
If anyone has one spare and wants to get rid of it, let me know. If it is a bit tatty, not a problem for me. Open to all offers.
donderdag 24 mei 2012
maandag 14 mei 2012
Wargaming @ De Landmachtdagen
I went to the Dutch Army Open Days (Landmachtdagen) this weekend to give a demonstartion about Wargaming with Dutch forces. I brought my Cold War troops, there were 2 tables about Afghanistan, several WW2 ones, from 1940 as well as 44-45 plus an action in Indonesia, a Medieval one, a Renaissance one and even a Roman one. Everything was themed on Dutch Forces or battles on Dutch soil and my table was the only (thank God) hypothetical one.
Friday - No battle as the Russians had not arrived yet so display only. Lots of veterans and current servicemen came for a chat, I learned a great deal about the strategy I should use from a active recce commander.
Saturday - The first battle, with me as the Dutch and Evin and Rutger as the Russians.I deployed too far back, used my Leopard as a Fireman force and had terrible dice. I held the enemy off from reaching my tableedge for 13 turns but lost all of my armour and half my infantry in the process. I call it a Dutch loss even if we held the Russians off long enough, as such losses are unsustainable as you are supposed to do a fighting withdrawal to the next defensive line. That means having troops and tanks left to actually man those lines!
Sunday - Rutger fought with my Dutch, Evin played the Russian side (i'd been on the base since thursday so I was feeling a bit knackered). Rutger fought a textbook action, deploying some of his tanks and AT teams far forward, killing the enemy Recce and then withdrawing to positions futher back while artillery shelled the advancing Soviets. He received the assistance of Lt. who was there to support the various players and who had mentioned he'd like to play a game. Under his command many 6's were rolled and he smashed the Russian left flank. In the end the battle was a resounding win for the Dutch plus it proved the tactic actually worked. As a bonus the display received a visit from the commander of the Dutch Army, Lt-Gen de Kruif, and the man grinned from ear to ear at our table. We spent some time explaining the game, he spotted the inaccuracies at one (Technically, I need YP-408's for this period, not YPR-456's, and the Leopard 1's should be Leopard 2's, or at least 1V's). We were then ordered to defeat the Russians :) Very impressive.
I made quite a few pics, but due to the light conditions sadly not too many came out right.
Battle 1 - Saturday (pictures are not in correct order)
The enemy made good use of smokescreens.
His recce reached the forward blocking position very quickly (this one surviving a Leopard 1 hit btw)
The Soviet wave seen from my side. I was too far back for a proper response.
I placed but did not use fortified positions.
In hindsight, chanelling his forces, while succesful, just strengthend him. So don't do this again!
Just a nice pic.
Tactical use of smokescreens.
Recce on the prowl.
The Recce Leopard failed to hit......story of my life for this game. Either that or hitting on unmodifed 6's at long range but then rolling 2's and 3's for damage.
Minefield were spotted by his recce but he managed to pass 2 out of 3. After which Usuthu demonstrated to us how this should be almost impossible due to the density of these minefield...maybe we need a houserule to improve them, say a 3+ or maybe even a 2+.
The last few yards.....there is a TOW in the woods that rolled a 1.....practically at the end of the smoking T-72's barrel. I say it rolled a 1 cause the missile didn't arm itself at that range
The counterattack that never should have happend anyway. I only managed to smoke 2 T-72's after which the rest trashed my Leopards. They should have deployed in a manner like Rutger did in his game.
Game 2 - Sadly I didn't take too many pics and due to the light conditions most are rubbish, so I just have these.
The Soviet recce moved forward in a wide line, their AT support in the middle and using what cover they could.
But the Leopards were here....
....there......
....everywhere!
Just a nice pic, this is the YPR that carried the Dragon team. That fired one shot and then bugged out through the woods only to redeploy a bit more back.
Wargaming @ De Landmachtdagen could not have been possible without the planning and organisation of Overste Ludwig van Dijk, supported by his son Joey and Lt. Bart.
Friday - No battle as the Russians had not arrived yet so display only. Lots of veterans and current servicemen came for a chat, I learned a great deal about the strategy I should use from a active recce commander.
Saturday - The first battle, with me as the Dutch and Evin and Rutger as the Russians.I deployed too far back, used my Leopard as a Fireman force and had terrible dice. I held the enemy off from reaching my tableedge for 13 turns but lost all of my armour and half my infantry in the process. I call it a Dutch loss even if we held the Russians off long enough, as such losses are unsustainable as you are supposed to do a fighting withdrawal to the next defensive line. That means having troops and tanks left to actually man those lines!
Sunday - Rutger fought with my Dutch, Evin played the Russian side (i'd been on the base since thursday so I was feeling a bit knackered). Rutger fought a textbook action, deploying some of his tanks and AT teams far forward, killing the enemy Recce and then withdrawing to positions futher back while artillery shelled the advancing Soviets. He received the assistance of Lt. who was there to support the various players and who had mentioned he'd like to play a game. Under his command many 6's were rolled and he smashed the Russian left flank. In the end the battle was a resounding win for the Dutch plus it proved the tactic actually worked. As a bonus the display received a visit from the commander of the Dutch Army, Lt-Gen de Kruif, and the man grinned from ear to ear at our table. We spent some time explaining the game, he spotted the inaccuracies at one (Technically, I need YP-408's for this period, not YPR-456's, and the Leopard 1's should be Leopard 2's, or at least 1V's). We were then ordered to defeat the Russians :) Very impressive.
I made quite a few pics, but due to the light conditions sadly not too many came out right.
Battle 1 - Saturday (pictures are not in correct order)
The enemy made good use of smokescreens.
His recce reached the forward blocking position very quickly (this one surviving a Leopard 1 hit btw)
The Soviet wave seen from my side. I was too far back for a proper response.
In hindsight, chanelling his forces, while succesful, just strengthend him. So don't do this again!
Tactical use of smokescreens.
Recce on the prowl.
The Recce Leopard failed to hit......story of my life for this game. Either that or hitting on unmodifed 6's at long range but then rolling 2's and 3's for damage.
Minefield were spotted by his recce but he managed to pass 2 out of 3. After which Usuthu demonstrated to us how this should be almost impossible due to the density of these minefield...maybe we need a houserule to improve them, say a 3+ or maybe even a 2+.
The last few yards.....there is a TOW in the woods that rolled a 1.....practically at the end of the smoking T-72's barrel. I say it rolled a 1 cause the missile didn't arm itself at that range
The counterattack that never should have happend anyway. I only managed to smoke 2 T-72's after which the rest trashed my Leopards. They should have deployed in a manner like Rutger did in his game.
Game 2 - Sadly I didn't take too many pics and due to the light conditions most are rubbish, so I just have these.
The Soviet recce moved forward in a wide line, their AT support in the middle and using what cover they could.
But the Leopards were here....
....there......
....everywhere!
Just a nice pic, this is the YPR that carried the Dragon team. That fired one shot and then bugged out through the woods only to redeploy a bit more back.
Wargaming @ De Landmachtdagen could not have been possible without the planning and organisation of Overste Ludwig van Dijk, supported by his son Joey and Lt. Bart.
donderdag 10 mei 2012
Cooling Tower
What it says on the tin, a Cooling Tower from the Heljan Power Plant set.
Works as a smaller 15mm for me, or as a decent 6mm one as well. Even though it is a crap Heljan kit (it's not prefectly round, it split at the seam twice while tacking it down to unwarp it and it actually flew across the parking lot when the wind caught it, it bounced a few times and then split at the seam again.....), I've looked it up again and found a few for sale. 40$ in the States, 45 euro local. Of the set I only really like the cooling tower, and that kind of money isn't worth it (if I had it)
Concrete is blue-grey foundation painted over with Dheneb Stone. Weathring with some pinwashes and diluted off white for detailing, and no base....It would be very akward to paint the insides otherwise.
Works as a smaller 15mm for me, or as a decent 6mm one as well. Even though it is a crap Heljan kit (it's not prefectly round, it split at the seam twice while tacking it down to unwarp it and it actually flew across the parking lot when the wind caught it, it bounced a few times and then split at the seam again.....), I've looked it up again and found a few for sale. 40$ in the States, 45 euro local. Of the set I only really like the cooling tower, and that kind of money isn't worth it (if I had it)
Concrete is blue-grey foundation painted over with Dheneb Stone. Weathring with some pinwashes and diluted off white for detailing, and no base....It would be very akward to paint the insides otherwise.
zondag 6 mei 2012
I need more Russians!
Box of goodies arrived, started work on numbers 13,14 and 15.
....but now I feel I need 3 more, to make wrecks from. And 3 more, to fix tank riders on. And.... :)
....but now I feel I need 3 more, to make wrecks from. And 3 more, to fix tank riders on. And.... :)
vrijdag 4 mei 2012
15mm scenery
We have another Build over at the Guild, this time the theme is Building. Plenty of scope in that one.
These are my first entries.
A big, narrow green shed, could house anything, could be for sci-fi and modern alike. Made from the incomplete kit of the Heljan Nuclear Plant, some spare HO scale roofing and 2 ventilation stacks from The Scene, on a 1.5mm plasticcard base. Just for 15mm, doors are too small for anything else.
A building, could be anything, kept it as non-descript as possible cause I'm working on add-on parts that will change the user and look for whatever purpose I want it to be. You'll see. Another building from the Heljan kit, missing parts again, was cut down and most of the front filled in. Badly warped, I managed to unwarp most of it.....sort of. Don't buy Heljan, it can be expensive and is never worth it. Added new roofs, a base and some flock. Uses I have planned for it are a abandoned factory, a Governmental house, just for 15mm, for modern and sci-fi.
Not for the build, but as filler, Old Crow 28mm containers.....
....which make excellent 15mm containers! Can pass for moderns and sci-fi alike. Didin't weather these too much for a change, might do that again with the next lot.
And a group shot (which includes the silo from the previous post)
Onwards to the next lot!
These are my first entries.
A big, narrow green shed, could house anything, could be for sci-fi and modern alike. Made from the incomplete kit of the Heljan Nuclear Plant, some spare HO scale roofing and 2 ventilation stacks from The Scene, on a 1.5mm plasticcard base. Just for 15mm, doors are too small for anything else.
A building, could be anything, kept it as non-descript as possible cause I'm working on add-on parts that will change the user and look for whatever purpose I want it to be. You'll see. Another building from the Heljan kit, missing parts again, was cut down and most of the front filled in. Badly warped, I managed to unwarp most of it.....sort of. Don't buy Heljan, it can be expensive and is never worth it. Added new roofs, a base and some flock. Uses I have planned for it are a abandoned factory, a Governmental house, just for 15mm, for modern and sci-fi.
Not for the build, but as filler, Old Crow 28mm containers.....
And a group shot (which includes the silo from the previous post)
Onwards to the next lot!
Big piece of junk
Big piece of junk this time.
I cobbled this together from a HO junk lot I picked up quite a while back that had a ton of used and abused refinery towers and silos. Lots of cleaning, removal of old glue and some chopping made this, a old, used silo, on its side, with a faded paintjob. The girders removed, propably cut up for scrap as well.
For 20mm this is a big piece in my junkyard, but I will be using it for the 15mm one as well, for which it is massive. I have several more of these pieces, might turn 1 or 2 into massive booster rockets lying around as scrap.
Spare PSC Panzer IV hatch came in useful :)
Whole wheat logo.
I cobbled this together from a HO junk lot I picked up quite a while back that had a ton of used and abused refinery towers and silos. Lots of cleaning, removal of old glue and some chopping made this, a old, used silo, on its side, with a faded paintjob. The girders removed, propably cut up for scrap as well.
For 20mm this is a big piece in my junkyard, but I will be using it for the 15mm one as well, for which it is massive. I have several more of these pieces, might turn 1 or 2 into massive booster rockets lying around as scrap.
Spare PSC Panzer IV hatch came in useful :)
Whole wheat logo.