Vietnam Demo Game conclusion.

I have finally gotten the scenario to a point where I can say that it is done. The US forces have taken the tunnel complex but have failed to find anything of interest (using the CDS chart). All VC resistance has ceased in the area of the farm on the Free Worlds right flank. Any VC on the left rear of the area has either withdrawn or has gone to ground. The Free World forces have only found one rice cache out of the suspected three, but has razed the Farm complex to the ground and removed the civilians from the area.

The game took three full days of gaming at home plus the two short days at the convention. I feel that the rules are not really designed for a game of this size so it would be unfair to judge them on that. I have been playing the last couple of sessions using dice to determine the units orders rather than using the cards. I will write these up once I have sorted out a couple of things that have been bothering me, such as the random events you get when using cards.

After the game I started to rearrange the table as if the Free World forces have been there for a week, and have been clearing trees to make space for Helicopter pads as well as other improvements. I also extended the playing area to give the VC some space to work in. More photos of that when I am happy with the set up. In the meantime here are the last photos of this scenario.

Tunnel Rat locating the Tunnel entrance.

Did I mention that I shot down a Helicopter (finally)?

Hill and Tunnel entrance secured.

Left Flank finally in good shape with a fresh Platoon arriving.

Remaining VC infantry in bad shape.

VC support in bad shape and about to withdraw.

I had planned to bring a Bull Dozer by CH47 but only half of it arrived from the factory along with a midget Driver. The supplier said that they would sort out the problem with the missing parts. I intend to replace the driver with one from Westwind Productions pictured lower right, and use the Dozer Driver as a Vietnamese youth to drive a wagon.

The Dozer is a WWII D7 but I have seen these used by the Koreans in Vietnam and figure that the ARVN Army probably used these as well. I'd love to get a Rome Plough but have not found anything suitable yet.

1st proper game in my new gamesroom.

Just a quick note to say that a few friends came around for the first proper game in my room. Michael and Ray Hutcheson who I have played with for years took the part of the Americans. Colin Phillips of Radio Dishdash publishing Wargames rules took the VC, while I umpired. The game was just a continuation of my ongoing Vietnam Campaign which ended in a Minor victory for the Americans.

Some parts of the game seemed to struggle along which we felt was due to the unpredictability of the movement, giving me some thoughts on some House Rules for them. Much hilarity was had when the US dropped some Napalm on the hill containing the tunnel system. So much damage was done that we thought that it should be a once a game occurance. It also meant that the US could not advance for three turns over the bombed area.

I did not take any photos of the game but my partner took a couple on her iPad.

These are my ideas for House Rules for movement. I have highlighted the changes.

We (I) also forgot to use the modifiers which would have further slowed down the game. 

Infantry

First dice =D6 move + 6 inches for each added dice.

TERRAIN TYPE                EXAMPLE                                   EFFECT

Hard ground                Road, trail or open ground                    1” per pip rolled

Light or Broken          Wet paddy fields, fords, light woods      -1 pips per dice

Heavy                          Stream, heavy jungle                            -2 pips per dice

Impossible                  Swamp or dense undergrowth              -3 pips per dice

Vehicles

First dice =D6 move + 6 inches for each added dice.

VEHICLE TYPE   HARD GROUND   BROKEN TERRAIN   HEAVY TERRAIN

Slow tracks           No adjustment          -2” per dice                   -3” per dice

Average tracks      +1” per dice              -1” per dice                   -3” per dice

Fast tracks            +2” per dice               -1” per dice                  -3” per dice

Wheeled               Double pips               -2” per dice                   No move

Note. Impossible terrain no move for all types.

Frostgrave Demons WIP.

While sitting having a coffee and a Sandwich on Saturday afternoon I noticed how well the natural light made these figures look on the workbench, so took some photos. I had not intended posting WIP photos of these as they are just about finished with some snow needing to be added. Being disappointed with my previous photos I thought the chance was too good to pass by.

I was given a bag of various Monsters at a gaming convention several years ago so have not identified everything yet with still plenty to be painted up. The Ogre is one I bought from GW and kept getting it out of the Lead pile, but had no idea of what to paint it up for until Frostgrave came along. The Ape looking Monster looks like something out of Star Trek or Lost in Space (the old series) but have not found out who made it. The Dire Wolf is from GW which I also bought and is a very nice model (ditto the Ogre) which seem much better than some of the current releases.
The white looking Ghost is from Copplestone which I painted years ago. I tried to lighten it up but think I will have to base paint it grey and start over. I based it to suit the other models. The other ghost is a Grenadier figure which painted up really well after stripping off the original enamel paint. It is surprisingly well sculpted for an early figure. The giant worm thing on legs is also from Grenadier. I also had to strip the original paint off but felt that more detail was needed on the worm parts as it was really difficult to get the texture to look right. I should go back and add wrinkles to the bulges but spent so long on it already that I don't think it will happen anytime soon.
I also painted a small Dragon to go with my Chinese Tong for IHMN, but it was already in the display cabinet so forgot to photograph it.

I thought that these early figures were from Bob Murch but now know that Andrew Chernak sculpted most of them. Buy them if you can as they have many uses for gaming.

http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/index.php?title=Call_of_Cthulhu_%28Grenadier%29

Die-cast Vehicles.

Lately I have been collecting a few vehicles for various games.

First up a few Solido Vehicles bought in a job lot. The Stalwart can go in my Dr Who game I intend to paint. The PT76 will go in my Vietnam collection as I have another already. The M3 Halftrack will go into my Soviet WW2 force as my Americans have two already with four Corgi versions.

This Hummer or is it a HumVee? I was not certain about scale wise so bought just one in a local shop. When I got home I measured it at about 1/50th scale so went and bought two more.

I also bought this M113 which had a Giant sized 50cal on it which was removed. I measured it  against my unmade TAG versions and found that it was almost the same size. It is actually a M106 which is handy as I did not buy one when West Wind made them. I think I will just put a decent 50cal on and repaint it. I might get another two but that might be overkill for 28mm games.

I bought this 1/50th Corgi A team Van on Ebay for a reasonable price. It arrived a few days after my A team figures arrived which I hope to use for Zombie games.

I've often seen Submarines in toy shops which always look too small for 28mm games. However I think that this is just right and just needs water lining and a new conning tower added. I can fit three figures on the decks easily. I should be able to use it from Pulp era to Vietnam (I think).

Frostgrave, terrain and first Warband

I dug out some old church ruins I built when I thought that I would be playing 40k, but that never happened so they have been gathering dust for years. I added some tufts from GW and then some Gale Force Nine snow. I experimented with the snow as there were no instructions that I could find as to how to apply it. I ended up mixing it with some cheap white poster paint and just laid it on some white paint that I had put down just before hand. Some places I did not bother as I had some left over so just plonked it on which seemed to look ok. I now just remembered that I had intended to use some wet look paint from AK Interactive which I might do later.

I have also just finished the Necromancers Warband. I was going for an evil twisted look and think that the figures look ok but just a little bit dark. I might have another go at photographing them later on as in game shots tend to look better.

Vietnam Demo game wrap up.

I feel that I have worked through the game as far as I could reasonably play it. At the end of turn nine I decided to call the game done. The result is still a bit unclear which is quite in theme with the Vietnam War. I could say the Free World Forces have won with 50 points to 48. What is bothering me is that should I count the refugees as being safely away from harm? There are VC on the same road threatening the HQ which is just managing to defend itself! Only one Rice Cache was found and one building set on fire and both platoons are down to one effective squad. On turn ten I could have set fire to another building but am nowhere near the hill containing the Tunnel complex. I am also short of ground personal to do anything active on the Free World side while the VC can still hit back.

Changing the cover rules to suit the VC and not counting casualties caused by Air Power has made some difference between the VC being effective or just being a speed bump for the Green Machine. I have also learned that it better to use a Big Mans activation points to remove shock points rather than activating units. (Unless you want to do something urgently). Now I have worked out the wrinkles in the rules and the scenario its probably time to play something else. (lol)

Another section suffering from MG fire

Three buildings searched

VC charge stalls with bad dice roll

Critical wound

VC advancing to Farm buildings

Melee

Mortars targeted on the exit road

VC about to charge for the second time

Three buildings searched, one Rice Cache found

VC mortars targeting the Cillians

VC attack faltered after melee

Frostgrave WIP

I made a start on a Necromancers party and thought I'd take some photos before I do any sealing. The reason for doing this is I usually paint figures a bit on the dark side and sealing makes the figures even darker. I had the reaper figures (GW and Black Tree) in stock and wanted to use them for something similar for a Pulp setting but then Frostgrave came along.

The party consists of a Necromancer and his apprentice, an Archer, Treasure Hunter, three Infantrymen and a thief. I think my eyes are getting a bit weaker as I am having a problem painting the eyes and skin-tones as to how I envisioned them.

I am fairly happy as to the look of them but may need to highlight a bit more once the sealing has been done.

I have also started on a building which I had in mind for my Robin Hood Project but never got around to doing. It may be a bit too Fantasy for that though. The idea being that from one direction the building looks intact but from another it looks wrecked.