The Egyptian first tank battalion for FATE OF A NATION is coming along nicely and only needs some of the tracks from the 3rd Company painted as well as some light flock put down. These are 31 GHQ T-55s from my collection. "Jack" provided me with enough T-55 tanks for a second battalion that will be based when I have enough bases. This is getting out of hand! So I'll be able to field an Egyptian tank BRIGADE for FAON. I'm going to need a bigger table!
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| The full tank battalion minus the support platoons. |
Some have asked me about my basing and how I do the ground texture so here goes - I use vallejo "european mud" goo on the base and let it dry overnight. I paint it tamiya flat earth (actually a store-made latex version I bought in a pint! I'll literally never run out), then I dry brush vallejo dark sand. These are FOW small bases I bought on ebay.
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| Dry brushed next to not dry brushed base. |
Also working on my Israeli forces as well but the progress not as substantial. I've got about 50% of the armor basecoated with tracks, tires, etc painted but no wash or dip yet. I was also experimenting with colors for the IDF uniform and I think I have a winner. Here they are on my practice landser:
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| All in dark sand looks good on this khurasan 15mm Syrian dude. |
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| but in 15mm it's a little different. The picture doesn't do it justice. |
And a sneak preview of a 3d printed T55AM2 from Butler's Printed models. I'm not very happy with them but what are you going to do? I have 31 of em! The BPM 6mm stuff is not as nice as their 15mm stuff. Maybe he'll look better when I have paint and wash on him. Might be a good excuse to camouflage them up!
Looking good man, and glad to be of service. I was looking into WWII North Africa and bought some BPM 6mm Panzer IIIs and Crusaders. Just like you, I found them to be not nearly as good as their other stuff (15mm in your case, 10mm in mine), but at the same time I think I could see myself using them in massed armor games, so long as I could get everything I needed from them and not have to mix their stuff in with other manufacturers.
ReplyDeleteI have one question for you: why do you base your 6mm vehicles? I'm just curious; it looks very nice, but it's a tremendous amount of work (at least from my standpoint). I'm getting ready to have some massive (at least for me) WWII 6mm fights, but I'm putting the infantry and guns on pennies and leaving the vehicles unbased. Call me lazy ;)
V/R,
Jack
Thanks and Great question, Jack. Im basing them primarily for the Team Yankee / Fate of a Nation/ Flames of War family of rules. I like the look of them based.
DeleteI played a game of Team Yankee and it worked very well in 6mm with unbased vehicles and troops on pennies, but i didnt like picking up the models and the infantry on pennies were harder to pick up and also harder to distinguish between RPG or AT stands and regular fire teams. Too finicky for me. I also feel like the teams are now on team sized bases per FoW etc. Before i was putting 3 figs on a penny to represent a fire team and 2 figs represented an RPG or ATGM stand. This feels a little closer to the rules.
Your stuff is still waiting to be based but not to worry all in good time :)
After looking at your progress on your blog i wouldnt call you lazy at all!
You seem to like squadhammer rules? I want to try them out and would be happy to trade ideas around on building units if you'd like.
Steve,
DeleteGotcha on the basing, and it looks really good, just lots of work, my hat's off to ya! And you brought up the one reason I've given it consideration: since you have to base the infantry, it's nice for the vehicles to match. But for now I'll admire yours and leave mine unbased ;)
Regarding Squad Hammer, I find them very interesting. I'm always a fan of simple, straightforward rules, BUT... I haven't actually played them yet. My plan was to play some test games this weekend, but time (and new toys) got away from me, I haven't even cleaned off the table from last weekend's fights...
In any case, I like the idea of them, so what I'm trying to do is create a simple game that will allow me to throw lots of toys on the table and play higher echelon games. I'm looking at playing division-sized fights, where 'units' are reinforced battalions or combined arms battalion teams. As an example, a somewhat typical British/Canadian unit would be six rifle bases, an MG base, a mortar base, a Universal Carrier base, a 6-pounder ATG w/prime mover, and three or four Churchills, which represents an infantry battalion with attached tank company from one of the independent tank brigades.
So what I've got to do for the unit is assign an amalgamated set of stats for strength, movement, and fire, but I'm stepping it out so there are separate fire values for anti-personnel and anti-armor. I'm also looking at monkeying with the activation system a little bit: I'm not much for straight "IGOUGO" games; it's simple, sure, but I don't like it and my 9-year old opponent is sharp enough and experienced enough now (closing in on 50 tabletop fights!) that I can get a little off the beaten path.
I'm thinking of a couple options:
1. A hybrid of Squad Hammer: roll 2D6 and pick the higher for the number of orders, but then each side gets a number of playing cards equal to the number of orders, shuffle them together into a deck each turn, and draw. The cards are not assigned to specific units, so if I'm 'red' and a red card comes out I simply pick which ever red unit (that hasn't activated yet this turn) I want and give them orders.
2. Straight 'Bolt Action' style. Similar to #1, but without rolling for orders. Every unit gets a card, so every unit activates every turn, the number of cards in the deck is equal to the number of units on the table. We each have six units so we each have six cards in the deck, we draw and activate.
3. IABSM style: One card per unit, but this time the cards are tied to specific units, can be played with or without the 'tea break' card, if I was going to play IABSM style I'd use the tea break card, and throw in a few lower-level (regiment, brigade, or even battalion) leaders to aid in activation and differentiate leadership capabilities on the table.
So, I say all that to say, I'd love to trade ideas with you, I'll dig out the last email to Ivan and forward it to you.
V/R,
Jack
Hey Jack i owe you a reply from your last email. Since you dont care for IGOUGO games then Rapid Fire probably is not for you.
DeleteI like where youre taking squadhammer. My vote is to Go the straight "bolt action approach" to activating.
Sure, sounds like a plan! I hope to get it on this weekend with the youngster. You know the drill, crush his hopes and dreams before he gets all unmoored from real life ;)
DeleteV/R,
Jack
Nice. Im following the same playbook with my kids.
Deletethat look of mass is fantastic. Looking forward to the day they get their first outing.
ReplyDeleteThanks and me too Norm! I need to buy way more "burning wreck" markers!!!
DeleteAny plans on taking TaM into the Six Day War? ;)
Great looking stuff. Interested to see how they fair against the IDF.
ReplyDeleteThank you sir. So If my experience and dice rolling is any indication... probably poorly
DeleteGreat work as usual. I see what you mean about the smaller scale Butler stuff. That is a surprise.
ReplyDeleteI also picked up a few items (ahem) from Jack, so there will be moderns, oh yes, there will be moderns.
Indeed he did! Duc will soon have more tanks than most countries!
DeleteV/R,
Jack
BwoooHAHAHHAHHAHA!
DeleteAt last we shall have our revenge against the jedi...
(wait...wrong genre)
Great stuff, gents. Darren cant wait to see them in battle.
DeleteYes i was quite disappointed with the butler's stuff considering my 15mm purchases from them were excellent and scaled perfectly.
The T55AM2 was missing some important details which i am inclined to forgive given the micro size (smoke discharger) but the skirts are "fuzzy" and not delineated well at all.
Im not a rivet-counter by any stretch but i do appreciate when a tank "looks" as it should.
Oh, wow, I have tank envy.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Steven. I hope you appreciated the basing decoration scheme because the paint tone of the earth and the sand dry brushing came from your website and ideas.
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