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Saturday, 16 November 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC "Gators" (AAVP7A1) WIP #1

After finishing off the AH-1Z my next project for the "Battle For Skira" campaign is some ground vehicles. I picked my AAVP7A1 amtracks, call-sign "Gator", to be the next in line.

The models are one Dragon die-cast, expanded with EAAK made from resin (Black Dog CZ), and two Dragon Amtracks w/EAAK kits that got single pieces of stowage from Black Dog and other brands (S&S for example) glued all over the place. :-)

The diecast and one of the plastic kits are shown below in various stages of the current build. I need to assemble the next kit and will start painting when all are completely assembled.


Wednesday, 13 November 2013

"A Few Blocks Of Hell" - a Force On Force game report

Two players, infantry units only. Regular forces vs. regular forces.

Scenario played:
"A Few Blocks Of Hell", US Army in Fallujah, out of the FoF (Osprey) rulebook.

Optional rules used for the scenario: "Juba" (a sniper for the Jihadists) and "Raindancer" (a FO with medium mortars on call for the Army).

Forces:
Haymaker 1-1 (Squad Leader 1)
Haymaker 1-1-A and 1-1-B (two standard fire teams)

Haymaker 1-2 (Squad Leader 2)
Haymaker 1-2-A and 1-2-B (two more fire teams)

Raindancer (FO)

versus

Local Jihadists troops 1-5 (JD1 -JD5)
Syrian Street Fighters (SY1 and SY2)
"Juba" with spotter (Sniper Team/ weapons team with SVD rifle ( not suppressed), team starts hidden)
Table set up like indicated by the scenario (more or less)

TURN 1:
Initiative: US Army (as dictated by scenario)

1-1 merges with 1-1-B and they make a rapid move and decide to fire on JD1 once in final position. Using the method that works best, I moved the Squad Leader figure along the path they will run. JD1 and JD2 want to react.

My opponent declares that JD2 will react when the Army passes an open spot on an intersection. Reaction Test failed, so the US boys reach their destination, then the intended target JD1 declares it will react now. Reaction Test failed, now the Army goes first in the firefight. The US Army attacks.
One Jihadist gets hit and and goes down. We rolled to find out who got hit, the Leader goes down. With a casualty ("callous" was used to quicken things little) the Jihadists take their Morale Test. They were retreating.

1-1-A makes a rapid move with JD5 trying to catch them in the open. Reaction Test fails.

1-2 (leader) and 1-2-A rapid move towards their mission objective. JD2 again  tries to react and fails. "Juba" fires his sniper rifle but thank god, he fails to do damage. I chose to use the chance and try to spot the hidden sniper team, since he fired a weapon that is not suppressed but I fail to turn that bonus into something useful and so I move on, unable to find the location of the Sniper shooting at my boys.


TURN 2:
1-1 and 1-1-B rapid move towards a corner of a house and want to fire onto JD2. They'd like to react and fail (again). The fire of the Army resulted in zero figures down and no suppression.

1-2, 1-2-A and 1-2-B as well as the FO (Raindancer) move towards their objectives by rapid movement and aren't seen by anyone.

JD1, JD3, JD4 and Juba move to get into positions allowing to intercept the Army on their march to the houses they are looking for.

And before I foret to mention it:
1-1-A und Raindancer together with 1-1-B declare to be on Overwatch now.

TURN 3 (now it is getting really interesting):
Beginning with turn 3 initiative can change according to the scenario. So, we roll and guess what: the Jihadists actually beat me to it.

The local Jihadists JD1 fire on my advancing fire team and I fail to react in time, fire is exchanged and the RPG taking its toll on my Army soldiers. A rifleman was hit and went down. Making the Morale Test I fail and they withdraw to cover.
Raindancer and fire team 1-2-B also react to JD1's intensions and win the reaction test. With my opponent rolling a "1", the FOW card "Death Or Glory" was drawn and played on JD7 (random). The fire onto the Jihadists resulted into them being pinned.

They also lose their Leader, check Morale, fail and withdraw off the table! (no cover available).

JD4 was activated and moved with tactical speed into position to fire upon 1-1-A. My soldiers want to react and I fail the test with another natural 1. Fog Of War turnes out to be "In Your Face" and grants me 3 extra victory points. Thanks a lot.

We exchange fire and my fire team survives without a scratch due to bad die rolls on my mates' side. My return fire kills a rifleman and they have to test Morale. They pass and stand (but keep being suppressed until rallied).


Payback time. 1-2 and team 1-2-A move tactically and fire upon JD4. The Jihadists declare a reaction and I remind myself of the still placed markers on some units that went on Overwatch. I roll the die and still fail. Noooo!

So the reaction between Jihadists and my squad leader and fire team 1-2-A follows. Another 1 rolled results in FOW "All Clear". I had won the test so I finally open up on the JD4 squad. Three hits scored, three guys down. The following Morale test fails and the holy warriors retreat 11 inches into cover.

JD4 fails to rally but since they are in cover they just stay there.
I make my First Aid check on my downed Rifleman and have to find out the boy is dead :-(

1-2 and team 1-2-A on Overwatch.



TURN 4:
The US keeps initiative.

1-1 and 1-1-B rapidly move (time is becoming an issue to reach the objective). Since no one can trace a LOS onto them they just walk as I please.

1-1-A however is seen after I activate them and so JD5 declares its reaction with fire. 1-1-A wins and JD5 receives four  figures being struck by incoming fire, gets pinned by the sheer volume of fire and yet is capable to achieve a STAND on their Morale Test! The lonesome survivor shoots back but of course that was to no effect.





1-2-B and the bored FO (hadn't called in my arty yet) moved tactically and are seen by JD2 who immediately react by fire. Since I declared units on overwatch last turn, Squad Leader 1-2 and team 1-2-A open up and suppress JD2 with their Leader being shot. They pass their Morale test and stay were they are.

The Jihadists and all Syrian Street Fighters move with rapid speed into new positions to flank the Americans.

JD4 flees off table since they failed their Morale Test again.

TURN 5:

We began the turn but decided that its impossible for the local insurgency to stop the US to claim the houses on top of the scenario map. Even with less victory points for not reaching it by turn 4, the Army would have won with 18 points for killed Insurgents even without owning the objective. The "In Your Face" card would have done the rest. So we stopped it there.





Its noteworthy that the text above is missing some very specific details, so don't be surprized if something seems not to make sense. Can't tell you why though (seriously, deal with it).  The pics are from the game but not placed in between the write-up to display any events described, just some random images taken during the game, nothing else!



Sunday, 3 November 2013

Thursday, 31 October 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC Starwolf 1-4 WIP #3 (AH-1Z Viper)

Finished painting the low-viz camo.

Next steps is painting details, weathering the fuselage, adding final payload and of course decals.

Starts to look like a helicopter finally. :-)

Monday, 28 October 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC Starwolf 1-4 WIP #2 (AH-1Z Viper)

Since there were some tragic events taking place in my family, progress wasn't as much as I had expected to achieve over the weekend.
Anyway, the modelling always helped me to clear my head and so here are at least two pics of the little progress that I made:

Cockpit canopy added, base fuselage completed (I also completed the whole flyer base, but I won't show until the bird is done), ready for the paintjob...


Friday, 25 October 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC Starwolf 1-4 WIP #1 (AH-1Z Viper)

I have started on my AH-1Z Viper (Call-Sign "Starwolf 14") that is going to escort my Venom transport helicopter and give the Marines on the ground something to call if immediate CAS is needed :-)

Finished the cockpit and crew today and put it into the main fuselage. So far it looks really like nothing to be honest, but that was the case with my Venom as well :-D
I have also started its base.

I'll post progress on this bird in little steps, just like I did the last time.

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Battle For Skira: 1/72 scale UH-1Y Venom conversion finished

Today I have finished the base for my Huey conversion. I took an Italeri 1/72 scale Twin Huey and converted it into the latest UH-1Y "Venom" (Super Huey) by using parts of a Revell AH-1W Cobra, an Olimp Models Resin Whisky Cobra Upgrade Set and an Italeri Bell 412 as well as a Kitech AH-1Z Viper. The Low-Viz decals were part of the Olimp set.

The base itself is a flat oval one from Gripping Beast, with the clear plastic flyer rod coming from GW. I have used standard materiel: flock from Busch, Clump Foliage (summer) from Gale Force 9 and summer grass tufts from Noch. Colours used were black for primer, Tamiya Flat Earth followed by drybrushing with Vallejo Iraqi Sand.

There is a whole "work in progress" run of posts on my blog, just click the labels underneath this post to find related contributions and pictures from the build.

Anyway, on to some pictures of the finished Venom, call-sign "Star Force 21":

"Star Force 21" dropping off USMC Force Recon "Team Razor" (all from ARMA II)
ready for a gun run with M134 minigun and Hydra rockets (SHQ Vietnam chopper door gunner)
GAU-21 heavy MG and Hydra rockets (and another SHQ door gunner)

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC Star Force 21 WIP #8 "Weathering"

The weathering of my USMC UH-1Y "Venom", call-sign "Star Force 21" has been completed over the weekend.

The decals have been added, the details painted and then I went crazy with the oil paints. :-)

I let the pictures speak for themselves. I have to be honest, I am not completely satisfied with my painting skills. The colours are too thick in some places. Well, every project is helping to learn and improve though!






Friday, 11 October 2013

AVP: the colonists' last stand figures have arrived

Lucky me - some of the original Leading Edge Games figures (20+ years old) salvaged from ebay for less than 30 Euro, unpainted in their original and undamaged box:





Got to find out how to rebase them without damaging the feet. :-/

Thursday, 10 October 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC Star Force 21 WIP #5

Payload added:


.50cal machine gun and 70mm Hydra rockets
M134 minigun and 70mm Hydra rockets
That leaves me with putting black primer on the last areas and then I can finally paint this baby!

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Battle For Skira: USMC Star Force 21 WIP #4

After months of stompy robots and acid-blooded Aliens here is for a change a little bit of progress on my 1/72 scale UH-1Y Venom:

FLIR turret added, laser sensors, antennas and wire cutters, chaff and flare dispensers and landing gear
changed the side of rear rotor and replaced the 2-bladed one with 4 blades. The little "wings" on the rear beam have been moved further to the back. Main rotor assembly changed from 2-bladed to 4 rotor blades.
Still needs some sanding here and there (exhaust ports) and the doors and weapon payload is still missing, but its finally showing the shape of an UH-1Y.
The pride of my work on this conversion: the new rotor dome which was sculpted with green stuff. It will look a lot better once it has been sprayed with primer - that's going to blend everything together.

Thursday, 3 October 2013

AVP: The girls' kill count: a 126 dead Xenomorphs

Hudson: "Man, its a shooting gallery down there!"

Wednesday evening the girls were on their next mission: the (fan made) "Sentry Gun" scenario.

I have set up the board, explained the rules and off we went with 15 rounds of shredding the Aliens to pieces. I don't know how they do it, probably with lots of luck rolling those dice, but I did not manage to get a single Xeno through the shooting alley. The kill count of the two girls in total after 15 rounds of heat management and aiming: 126 dead Xenos, not a single one made it alive to "Operations". oO

Although I could claim it only worked that well for them because I have used a roll of "0" as a zero instead of a ten. They both said it would not have made any difference of course *blink*

Some pics (taken by the girls themselves)

Set up, ready to fire, aiming.....killing!
"run Forrest, run....erm. I meant, Alien"
For some reason I kept rolling for the spawn points on the very end of the hallway. Quite annoying I have to say.
A: "oh, out of free actions, heat rising and you still got two of them pretty darn close" (little gesture added) M: "how about minding your own corridor, sweety?"



The game was a blast (no pun intended). :-)
Up to "Operations".