WIP Wednesday: An Epic Comeback?

Another Wednesday, another WIP post.  This week's post is all about redemption from last week's Epic ACW rebels.  I was determined the spruce up the Rebs and so I took to completing the detail on one of the regiments and putting a wash of "nuln oil" on them.  I was equally determined to make my next Pike & Shotte Regiment look the part so I've been slowly (and I mean slowy) applying uniform bits to them.

I think they look much better with the wash and highlighting applied and the detail on the musket "furniture"

The Regiment with flock

One thing I will mention is I tend to use brushes until they completely wear out, then I buy a bunch of cheap replacements because I'm too afraid I'll ruin nicer brushes.  I broke out new detail brushes for the ECW guys and I think the results paid off handsomly.

Here is one regiment with wash, highlights, and muskets detailed, next to what the other regiment looked like from last week. - you can even see the detail on the faces from a distance.

The entire regiment flocked, washed, and highlighted.  The muskets alone made a huge difference.

So what did I do?  The faces of the epic guys have nice detail on them.  With a single coat of paint they don't really come through so I added a heavy wash of nuln oil to the faces, then highlighted with a slightly brighter color.  It was painful but the result paid off.  I also washed the pants and added some highlights to the jackets or hats here and there.  Again I'm much happier with them this week than last week!

Finished Regiment next to unfinished Regiment - the difference is really something

It's funny how once we're determined to do something, we do it without hesitation, without complaint or question.  And as Arnie said in "The Terminator"..."anger is the only useful emotion" 😁

Anyways, here is the latest Pike & Shotte regiment starting to be issued their red coats and...well whatever pants we have laying around the depot.

Block painting these guys and I'm much happier with how they are turning out but it's slow going.

The coats are Vallejo "red" and pants are mostly "Russian Uniform Green" with some Army Painter leather in there for good measure and to mix thigns up.  I will paint the leg accoutrements next then the pikes and muskets.

 

When you block paint them the detail really stands out more in my opinion

Moving onto the microarmor department, I finally started painting the fleet of tanks, halftracks, and other odds and sods for Kasserine Pass!

Finally getting the attention they deserve!  My fleet of DAK armor was trapped inthe attic for too long!

I basecoated all of the black, then heavily dry-brushed them Tamiya "Dark Yellow" with a finishing light dry-brush of Vallejo "Dark Sand".  I have not yet detailed them but I'll likely paint some stowage and the tracks and then call it a day for these guys.  Also I'll need to start prepping bases again...joy.

The GHQ stuff is so detailed.  I love it.  I wish I had more Panzer IIIs as seen in the upper right of the pic.

The Wespe and the radio van still has only their initial dry brush of "dark yellow" and I'm wondering if I should have just kept that color.  It reminds me of Testor's "Afrika Mustard" which I liked.

Starting on the specialist vehicles - the prime movers and halftracks and kubelwagens.

The whole force, so far!

Almost forgot - the fighting in Tunisia saw more advanced German equipment so I had to throw in some long-barrel Panzer IVs and of course some Tigers!

Awaiting their initial coat!

Finally - another Wednesday, another tranche of 6mm buildings standing by for their paint.

These are black but there was a candle giving off this glow on the buildings.  Weird.

Aspern Church needs some touching up.  Model by Baccus.

Total Battle Minis building from their Big Battalions line.

More Russian village buildings by Baccus.

So there you have it!  Not a ton of progress but the brushes are moving!  

Also there will not be a WIP Wednesday post next week as I will be in a remote, top secret location with no access to my blog (wife wont pay for wi fi...).  Expect posting to resume the following week and Dave will be over trying out one of my 36 Inch Battlefields games with my modifications of Peter's WWII rules.  No Kasserine Pass on the table....yet, but we're getting closer!!  

Wargaming With "Junior General" Rules Again: SYW Battle "Twin Objectives"

 Another week, another esoteric set of rules, this time from one of my favorite websites that you potentially have never heard of - "Junior General".  Junior General is run by a history teacher who uses historical miniature wargaming to teach history to his students.  Truth be told, I've always wanted to meet him, having been a big fan of his rules and his Battle Reports.  His After Action Reports of his students' battles are wonderful if you ever have a free minute to read them - they still deliver a wargaming fix when you can't find the time to game yourself.  i've played these rules before, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Anyways, onto the action!  Today's battle was a Seven Years War encounter loosely based off the Battle of Lobositz.  The scenario is "Twin Objectives" from the One Hour Wargames rules, but played with the Junior General "Leuthen" rules.  They always looked exciting to me - would they deliver the sharp, Seven Years War action I was looking for?  Let's find out.

Turn 1  Opening Moves

Play sequence is straightforward enough. Player A moves and shoots.  Player B moves and shoots.  Charges.  Melee.  Simple!

The proud Prussian Army - facing off against "Twin Objectives" the hill and the town.

Sometimes I wonder if the 10mm are boring - then I look at pictures like this - and they aren't even flocked!

The Anhalt leading out.  Grenadiers behind them.

That is a handsome set of buildings.

Shooting is tough.  You get dice equal to your bases, in most cases hitting on "6".  Artillery fares a little better but for the most part, shooting hits on 6.

The Austrians have a save on the hill and of course they roll it!

The Prussians are hit

Turn 2

The Prussians move out to assault the town with 4 Infantry Regiments, while the Grenadiers and a battery of guns stay behind to assault the hill.  Surely Prussian Grenadiers can brush these mustachioed fellows aside?

The guns start shooting and combined with the infantry they're doing a little better, but units in terrain are stubborn in these rules!  They're tough to dislodge.

Approaching the village.  Remembering play from years past, I kept the Austrian units close to the village to counterattack.  

A murderous firefight erupts along the line.  It's criminal that the Cavalry haven't charged yet, especially since the Prussians have no horse!

Turn 3 sees assaults on both objectives...

With disastrous results!  Both assaults fail - the Prussian Regiments retreating 12" with another stand loss for their troubles...

Now that I've gotten a taste of combat against terrain, I'm wondering how attacking that BUA is going to go.

The retreating Regiment from the town assault moves out in column towards the hill.  Reinforcements are sorely needed here!

Meanwhile back at the town...

Firing at the Austrians on the hill to no avail...

Every time I've tried to charge with the Austrian Cavalry I've failed the pre charge morale check...

The Prussians charge again, as was their custom

And a stinging volley is unleashed!

Finally - on Turn 6 - the Austrian cavalry passes a charge MC...

And are destroyed by Prussian musketry

Meanwhile on the hill - volley after volley are going into the Austrians and they just. wont. die.

Speaking of die hards.  Lots of firepower lined up against this village.  THey wouldn't even take their first hit until Turn 9

Turn 9 a strong Prussian unit is repulsed by these stubborn Austrians.  Turn 10 would see the Austrians assault the other Prussian unit who is the same strength.  The resulting melee was a draw - meaning both sides lose 1SP and retreat, finally destroying this Austrian unit who held out against innumerous assaults against his position!

Turn 10 the village is actually captured but not through combat!  The Austrian defenders fail their pre charge morale check and withdraw from the village.  The battle has ended in a Prussian victory.

The Anhalt never even got a scratch!

My "high speed" QRS

LESSONS LEARNED

Melee is decisive in this game, but be forewarned - if you dont have at least 2 positive modifiers in your favor, you're going to have a bad day.  You need to whittle the enemy down a bit and that takes shooting - lots of shooting.  Melee is a gamble and even a +3 mods going in you could roll a 1 and he could roll a 6.  

Movement is generous and allows for sweeping maneuver on the table.  In this game, the Austrian commander should be sacked at the very least for not flanking that infantry regiment on the Prussian left and gobbling it up.  

This was a very fun and interesting game.  Certainly made me want to pick up my brushes and finish my SYW 10mm guys of which I have a few infantry and cavalry units left to paint.

 I think the game would play alot better with the removable stands as intended, but some folks have turned these rules into a more "beefed up" system (A la Tilly's Very Bad Day).  These rules are firmly in the One Hour Wargames category of simple but with a dash more complexity.  I am going to try to get a Black Powder game on the table in the near future and may potentially blog it as well.  Stay tuned!