Algernon Flies Again!

I had an idea for another Lard Mag article today, an introduction to the Algernon Pulls It Off! rules with a sprog level scenario attached. I put the idea out to the Facebook group, who thought it was a good thing, then asked Nick Skinner for his thoughts. He gave it the thumbs up so I got to work. The end result is an article titled Algernon Flies Again! and a scenario set in August 1917 featuring No.70 Squadron RFC and Jasta 28 over the Ypres salient, aptly named after the first Biggles book, The Camels are Coming. Not bad for a day's work?

Soviet Shermans

The Tumbling Dice 1/600th Russian range is very limited so, in an attempt to expand my forces for Armoured Storm I'm going to pinch some Sherman Firefly models from the British. These will be converted into M4A2 (76) lend lease tanks to form additional platoons that I can add to my T34/85 company. As the Tumbling Dice 3mm models are a bit basic when it comes to accuracy, this shouldn't be too noticeable, especially once I've done a bit of sanding, filing and chopping about. 

Tiddly Panzers Painted

The Panzer Tank Company and attached Panzerjager platoon are now painted ready to try out the Armoured Storm Eastern Front rules. I have some space in the storage box for extra HQ tanks, some AT gun support units and some ground attack aircraft, which I'll add later on. I'm now moving onto to the Soviets, which will be an all T34/85 based tank company, perhaps with some AT gun support bases, if I can work out how to go about it. Not bad for a tenner and an afternoon of leisurely painting?

Battle of Pacocha Painting Progress

I've now undercoated the three 1/2400th scale ships for the Battle of Pacocha, then base coated the sea bases in Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue. In the photo this looks rubbish but it will be fine once I dry brush and varnish the bases at the end of the painting process. Next, I'll add all of the white base coat and lining out, then block in the decks, masts and funnels ready for an ink wash. I think I'll be able to get at least some of that done tomorrow as, apart from trimming the back garden hedge, all of my jobs have been done today...?

3mm Armoured Storm Eastern Front Panzer Company

As my way into Armoured Storm I've opted to go down to 1/600th scale and use Tumbling Dice miniatures as a test bed for learning the rules. While the models aren't very accurate, the barrels a bit too short and things like turret armour missing, they are inexpensive, easy to paint and readily available. Unfortunately, the range is incomplete but there are enough models to make an Eastern Front panzer company possible, with the Soviets getting T34/85 tanks as the opposition. 

Here we have three platoons of five Mark IV F2 tanks, one platoon of five Mark III L tanks and a support unit if five Jagdpanzer IV 70 (A) tank destroyers, together with three HQ tanks in command. I also have some aircraft to prepare for air strikes and might be able to field some PAK 40 anti tank guns, if I can work out how to modify one of the Tumbling Dice field guns. The 3rd Panzer Division in early 1944 is a good match in terms of ToE, so that's what the company will belong to. 

...hoping to get painting tomorrow.

Bulldogs Away! Relaunched

With the demise of A&A Game Engineering due to retirement, David Manley of Long Face Games has begun the process of moving his titles over to Wargame Vault under the LFG label. The first title to make the move is the modern fast attack, littoral warfare set aptly named Bulldogs Away!. I have always wanted to try these out and even painted up some of the old Skytrex 1/600th scale models for a fictitious 1970's African solo campaign, but was never that happy with the range and distance disparity in this scale. 

David has some 1/1200th scale 3D print STL's coming out soon, the old North Head Miniatures range, which has a better scale to range ratio, but I think I will have another crack at this in 1/3000th. I have some Navwar FAC's that would be ideal and plenty of larger warships and 'targets' that would be useful, with some sort of South American twist to tie in with my existing Chilean and Chinese modern fleets. This is a project for later in the year but a good one for a rainy weekend, so perhaps sooner than I planned, as David unexpectedly sent me a free copy of the rules today! What a splendid chap!

2mm English Civil War Solo Campaign System

Nick Jones has devised a splendid solo campaign for Dominion of Pike and Shot, set in his home county of Lincolnshire, which he was kind enough to share with me in draft format. It's a really well thought through system built on solid geographical and historical foundations, but straightforward enough to be managed by one person with a minimum of paperwork and painting required. It's inspired me to take another look at my stalled 2mm Royalist and Parliamentarian armies, which have been sitting in a box for months. I built these around the early Civil War campaigns in Cornwall and Devon in 1642 - 1643, which could be a subject for adaptation using Nick's campaign system and the Portable Pike and Shot rules perhaps? Cheers Nick!

Tumbling Dice 1/600th Tanks

Pzkpfw IV G/H

Pzkpfw IIIL

StuG IIIG 

Jagdpanzer IV 

T34/85

SU-85

The Tumbling Dice 1/600th scale German and Russian armour arrived at the weekend, which was very quick, so I've had time to give them a look over. While not as accurate or detailed as Oddzial Ozmy 3mm models, they aren't at all bad and will look good enough masse when painted up. The barrels on the SU-85 and Mark IV are a bit short but can easily be replaced with wire or brass rod. The advantage is that for just over a fiver you can deploy a whole company of tanks or tank destroyers, which makes it a good way to try out the rules without breaking the bank. 

Bargain Battle of Britain Book

It's one of my son's birthdays tomorrow so we headed into town for a nice lunch and some present, card and balloon shopping, as you do. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to pop into the local Oxfam bookshop, where I found an 'as new' hardback copy of this book on Douglas Bader's Big Wing strategy and how it divided opinion then and even now. It's a fascinating subject and the book covers it all in great detail yet still remains very readable, from my the quick dip into the contents. I'm looking forward to reading it properly but I'm back to work tomorrow and will be pretty tied up with other more tedious things as a result. 

Tumbling Dice 1/2400th HMS Amethyst

This is the last of the ships for the battle of Pacocha, the Royal Navy corvette HMS Amethyst, using the more recent Tumbling Dice ASV11 Screw Sloop model as a basis for adaptation. I cut away the sails from the bowsprit, foremast and mizzenmast, then replaced them with masts and spars from cut down staples. This was easier than I thought it would be but there was quite a lot of trimming, filing and sanding involved. It's not a perfect match for HMS Amethyst but it's not bad, especially as there's nothing else that would do the job.