It's Alive

 

It's been a while. I've been out of action for a couple of months with a trapped nerve in my shoulder, 2 weeks of agony, 4 weeks of pain and now it's just sore. I'm still having problems sitting in office chairs for more than an hour. So no painting has been done, no games have been played and although I'm working from home, I'm bored.

This weekend was my longest journey in 2 months. I persuaded Tom to go to his 1st wargaming show and give me a lift. So we went down to Battleground at Stockton and spent a couple of hours meeting friends and doing a little shopping. I didn't buy much, my lead mountain has reached Himalayan proportions and is some what overwhelming. So it was flock, paints etc. I picked up a couple of 15mm ballistae for my 15mm Roman legion. But that was about it. Was great to meet up with everyone but I could only stop for a couple of hours as mu shoulder was starting to ache.

I have recently managed to do a little painting and some prep for the challenge that starts on the 20th.

I built this trench system years ago and have tarted it up to become part of a Vietnam firebase

Considering it was an early attempt at building from me i think it's come out OK

Plenty of room for infantry and artillery

As this was so big, I managed to repaint it standing up, which is easier.

I also ordered some palm trees from Amazon, one of those "loads of trees for not much money orders. I've based these up individually and given them a bit of dry brush

There are about 40 trees and will add to the Nam jungle or become a plantation

Overall a slow return but a return

Vietnam Transport

 When we think of transport in the Vietnam war we think helicopters. However you can't actually get a lot of stuff in a helicopter. Most of the supplies were moved in trucks. Huge great 300 truck convoys. 

In wargaming terms this is 300 trucks. They are Solido die cast a plastic trucks of various types but will all pass as 5 ton trucks. They obviously are US trucks as they are green and have a star.

The convoys were prone to being ambushed on the road and so the Americans developed ad hoc support vehicles called gun trucks.

Basically up-armoured trucks with lots of machine guns

This is Puff the Tragic Wagon (real name of a gun truck that looked a bit like this). It has a .50 cal and 3 M60s from Gringo40s. I love the Gingos figures but they are well fed. The .50 cal gunner is a converted Empress figure. I love Empress figures, almost all my collection is Empress but they are slight compared to Gringos farm boys. Dave's collection is almost entirely Gringos. Between us we have 2 marine platoons, an armoured platoon and a comedy amount of support.

THe mud is a blend of filler, Foundry red shade and Vallehjo Flat earth. It was a bit matt so I gave it an ochre wash. 

They probably won't get a run out at Partizan but if you are coming along pop over and say hello, if only to look at the massive chopper

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle - Sorry

 I've finished the next batch of jungle and river sections. I bought some 2mm mdf rectangles from Amazon, they were cheap and infinitely better than using card, which is a pity as I have loads of card.

The river layout on a 6x4 table with approx 50% of my jungle

There are 2 types of river, 4" and 2" wide. I have approx 7 foot of each. Really impressed with how they have come out.

The last of the Poundland plants on the last of the mdf. Really happy with these.

This is just a quick post but there will be another one later today, on omething completely different

The Next Project

 So in light of the truly epic time in Scarborough, Dave and I were discussing going back next year to put on another massive game. So if you are playing a massive game what do you go for. Obviously 28mm Vietnam. No really. Helicopters, lost patrols, fire bases, tunnels and all kinds of bloody mayhem.

So with that in mind and already having 4 other armies ready to paint (28mm Dwarfs, 10mm Renaissance Poles and Turks and 7YW Scots - really, and i know they didn't exist but isn't that the best bit) I have been bulking out the Vietnam collection. I needed some more buildings for a firebase - in the post and loads of terrain

A trip to Poundland and I picked up loads of plastic plants for £2. This will do for a start.

I've also started a jungle river. This is a 4" wide river and a simple straight section to practice on. Plan to do 6" and about the same at 2". Insignificant on 48" of table but a sensible length for normal humans.

I also needed a few more USMC

2 x .50 cal heavy machine guns. The guns are frm TAG and the crew simple converts or Empress minis, I cut the gun of the gunners.

I've also bought some LAW operators and medics from Empress, 1 more pack to arrive. I've also put my section leader and radio man on the same base for ease of movement.

and finally I have bought my 1st games mat from tiny wargames. A bit of furniature movement and I have a 6x4 table set up in the spare room.

Right I've got more river to build

Operation Turkey Dinner

 It is now a tradition that the Old Guard get together between Christmas and New Year to play a massive game. Over the last 12 months Dave and I have assembled significant Vietnam war collections mainly Empress and Gringos40 figures (both are fab).

So we planned Operation Turkey dinner with a USMC search and destroy mission to attack the village of Cho Mi (American Dog!)

The 3D hex map of the table (love my 3D hexes) THe USMC had an APC mounted platoon (James ran the vehicles and Ian the transported grunts) which would enter from the East. Angus commanded a 4 Huey strong helicopter wing, with Stig commanding the ferried troops. John has 2 sections of LRRP that would start on the map almost anywhere he wanted outside the village. He placed a section on each hill in the centre out of support of eachother. Wonder how this would work? We placed tiddlywinks in each hex (approx) and these would be reveal events when reached - both good and bad things. The 5 commanders had to collect points for killing VC/NVA, finding weapons caches and intel and war photographers could take glory shots for more points

East end of the table with Hueys

Middle table sowing the 2 low hills

Village of Cho Mi

THe whole 17ft

The 1st Huey lands on the northern most LZ and disembarks its marines, underfire from HMG AAA

John's LRRP section on the Northern hill are hard pressed with NVA and later VC emerginging from tunnels underneath the battlefield. I made some 3D tunnel networks in file boxes but forgot to photo them. James and Ian explored a couple and found a weapons cache and captured a VC officer and intel

The LRRP to the south are having a much easier times

As the APC platoon advances slowly a platoon of VC emerge from the jungle but a Skyhawk swoops in and annihilated them

Back at the LZ a Huey is downed by an RPG as it takes off

Immediately infront of the LZ John's section was surrounded and in desperation called in an artillery strike at Danger Close. This landed on his position but also wiped out several of the attacking NVA. It wasn't enough and the section was wiped out with the injured survivors captured and taken away by VC

THe marines are advancing from the LZ and have taken the hill, too late to save John's section

The APC platoon have reached the LZ and continue their advance

The Americans have reached the village and the Skyhawk is clearing the path.

John's LRRP section and James/Ians Gage Commander make the centre and the battle was over.

Fantastic days play, the scenario and rules worked really well and the 5 commanders worked well together, occasionally.

Back in Nam

 Dave and me have careered into the Vietnam war, I've collected Empress minis (it all started with a flash sale) and Dave have gone for Gringo40s. It a score draw on who has the best figures. Between the 2 of us we have 2 platoons of USMC (Dave's to be painted) and 2 companies of Vietnamese plus support.

I've been tinkering around with Bolt Action rules and a dungeon crawl style game with cards being drawn each move to either give the USMC artillery support or to bring NVA and VC on the table. 

Last night we played our 1st  play test of the rules

3ft by 4ft jungle terrain. Aim is to get 3 four man and command fire teams across the table and off the other side

1 very small early skirmish, NVA destroyed before firing a shot and the infantry race through the jungle. You draw a card at the start of your move unless you run, then it's the end of the move,

Dave was very lucky

Until he tripped 3 booby traps in quick succession. Pinning the commander and taking out 1 marine. Casualties have to be rescued and exvac'd. Helicopter called for

Then an entire NVA platoon appeared to the West, less than 8 inches from the pinned command and M60 team

The USMC managed to pin the NVA 

and call for an artillery strike - very danger close - impossible for the USMC to not be hit

The 3 NVA units all recieve pins but no casulaties but the M60 team is obliterated

The pins and fire fro the 2 remaining fire teams are enough to rout the NVA . Helicopter evac arrives to take the bodies and another wounded man away

Remaining fire team and commander make it off the table.

It was great fun and the rules worked well and the battle was frenetic. Some tweaks needed. Had to buy more figures for casualties. 

The final score was 1 NVA platoon destroyed, 5 US marines killed, 1 by NVA, 1 by booby trap and 3 by friendly fire

I'll add the rules as blog page after tinkering.

As for the forces

NVA - Empress

VC - Westwind, not great figs

M113 and Photographer - The Assault Group 

USMC Platoon - Empress

Huey - Butlers Printd Models - nice but annoying to clean up