Firstly the latest painting progress. A long overdue attention to the Market Garden project - Groesbeek Heights.
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| Almost complete prior to basing. |
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| The finished figures. Laid out in their battalion formations suitable for BKCIV and Rapid Fire Reloaded. The only complete battalion is in the centre. That on the left is awaiting its HQ base, on the right the HQ and support company. The top right is the beginnings of a 4th battalion and on the left a Divisional CO and FAO. All battalions will be brought up to strength on completion of the next batch. Figures are a mix of Heroics & Ros and 2D6. |
Continued -
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| Many of the regular German infantry at this stage of the war would have worn camo. I have kept it to just the basic uniform for ease of identification on the tabletop between them and SS units. |
Wargaming Update
When I started the blog I had more time for the actual wargaming side of the hobby and I did not anticipate so much of my spare time in retirement taken up with family matters. Readers of the blog will be well aware of how protracted my games can be. This is not ideal when time is more limited combined with the fact that increasing back problems limits wargaming sessions to a maximum of 1 hour before it becomes too uncomfortable to continue.
I am therefore in the process of reviewing several periods and projects which will hopefully lead to more games played.
Two campaigns have been put on ice. The Warplan 5/5 ACW campaign and the WW2 Op Compass campaign. The latter will be replaced with mostly historical scenarios and possibly a few non-historical which will include actions in the Med prior to the invasion of Sicily and Italy. ACW will also be historical scenarios for the time being.
I have removed the Austerlitz project which has not been cancelled and is something I hope to return to but not in the short term.
To speed up play, alternative rules are being examined. I have removed my own Ancients rules from the blog which needed a considerable amount of work to be undertaken and were only ever designed as a stop-gap until I could find something more to my taste. "Age of Hannibal" by Little Wars TV has caught my eye, particularly the 2nd edition. They are currently on order and I look forward to giving them a try in my Britannia campaign.
For WW2 I am currently using Rapid Fire Reloaded in what will be the last of the N. Africa campaign games. I have not given up on BKCIV but my aging brain would appreciate something as simple as RF Reloaded.
It is my intention to take a fresh look at alternative ECW rules. Again, something simple but makes for an enjoyable game and reasonably faithful to the period.
The "My Collections and Projects" tab has been updated. I will see how this pans out and hopefully resulting in more AAR.
Excellent work on those Germans Jon! I too tend to differentiate unit quality by the elite chaps having camo smocks etc, the rank and file field grey.
ReplyDeleteI can empathise about the lack of time once one has retired. As a full time parent/carer I seem to have less time for the hobby than when I was working! I have been pondering a cull of projects that in all honesty are unlikely ever to see the light of day. Not only will this free up storage space, but it will also help me focus on those projects that remain.
As for rules, I've played BKCII for so long I rarely need to refer to the rulebook, with the QRS being enough for 95% of the game. If I do need to look at it, I know where the relevant rule is most of the time. This makes my games much easier to play as I can just focus on the action and not the rulebook!
Many thanks Steve. Unfortunately I do not play BKC enough to arrive at your envious stage where you are not having to refer to the rulebook. Rapid Fire is an old favourite of mine and got me back into WW2 wargaming when the 1st edition was published in the 90's. I am torn as I do like BKC and will have to see how a couple of games of Rapid Fire Reloaded pans out.
DeleteI never played Rapid Fire!, but since the release of the Reloaded version, it has gained more traction at shows and on Blogs, for those that knew the original version. I'm glad that over the past 5 years or so, I've focussed on a few core rulesets, all with similar mechanics, which does greatly improve game play IMHO.
DeleteI have had a good stint in the garage (wargames room!) today, testing more thoroughly Rapid Fire Reloaded. It is a good fun ruleset but can feel the pull of BKC once again. Will have to play the game through to conclusion to make a final decision but know what you mean on focussing on a few core rulesets.
DeleteExcellent work. They take me back... its where I started with 6mm with Heriocs and Ros. Do you PVA glue them to the base or use a heat gun? I've used blutak for many years just wondering if separating them from the stick is difficult?
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Paul. I use Copydex to attach them to the sticks. Holds them tight enough when painting and reasonably easy to detach them when complete.
DeleteHi Jon, do you still have a YouTube Channel? I have fond memories of watching a Napoleonic campaign (that used the Warplan 5/5 map cards) and I think it might have been you that did them. I've looked on YouTube but cannot find them. TIA, Chris
ReplyDeleteHi Chris. I think you may be thinking of somebody else. I have never had a YouTube channel but what you describe sounds interesting. I cannot recall seeing one using the Warplan system but will have to keep an eye out.
DeleteHi Jon, thanks for the prompt reply. I am beginning to think I've imagined it. I'll do some more searching. I'll post here if I find anything
DeleteVery pleased to see the work on the Groesbeek Heights project Jon. The figures appear to be a mix of GHQ and Adler - is that correct? Thanks Richard
ReplyDeleteNot quite Richard. The are a mix of 2D6 and the new H&R figs. The new H&R are particularly impressive.
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