Plan Zachód - Polish 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade

 As one of the iconic units in the defence of Poland in 1939 the "Black Brigade" was an essential addition to my Poland 1939 project.  Here is a sample from the platoon I have nearly completed for Chain of Command - they are a mix of Warlord Games' Bolt Action range and Gorgon Studios figures:

 Once again, these were painted by my friend Roger and just based by me.

Plan Zachód - Polish Infantry

 When I looked at the correct organisation for a Polish platoon in 1939 I realised I was going to need quite a few more figures.  So here is a selection of the full platoon I now have for Chain of Command.  The figures are all from Warlord Games' Bolt Action range.

As always, there were painted by my friend Roger and just based by me.

Operation Weserübung - British Infantry

Here are some figures from the actual final platoon for my Operation Weserübung project - some British infantry in greatcoats and jerkins (I based these so they could also be used in other theatres) - these are from Gorgon Studios:

As usual these were painted for me by my friend Roger.

Kickstarter

Back in 2018 a friend of mine introduced me to Kickstarter.  To be honest I wasn't really sure it was something I was going to be interested in but fast forward to today and I have been involved in crowdfunding over 100 projects and so I thought I would share my experience and what I have learned.

So firstly, what is Kickstarter and why should you care?  Kickstarter is a crowd funding platform - what's that I hear you ask!  Crowd funding is where a project is funded by members of the public rather than by the more traditional funding routes.  Something that is really made practical by the internet.  This usually takes the form of someone outlining a product they would like to produce, seeking a total sum to make it happen and asking people to contribute money in the expectation that they will receive the product.  Kickstarter is a platform for crowd funding (other crowd funding platforms are available!).  The projects seeking crowd funding are many and varied; and the people launching these project range from individuals with new inventions to companies trying to assess customer interest before manufacturing.  My particular interest has been in the area of wargames figures and board games.  Making miniatures and board games is expensive and traditionally the upfront costs and uncertainty of demand has constrained the production of new and less mainstream products.

My first Kickstarter which funded at the end of 2018 was UBOOT: The Board Game a co-operative four player simulation of a U-boat which combined a board, a 3D cardboard submarine and an app.

I have always had an interest in submarine warfare and so this grabbed my attention straight away but I vacillated a lot before risking backing it.  Which leads me onto a key thing about crowd funding.

Whilst Kickstarter and the other crowd funding platforms may look like a shop front and a way of pre-ordering products - they aren't.  Your pledge (the money you contribute to back the project) is wholly at risk - you may not receive anything and you will have little recourse, if any.  But if you are prepared to accept that risk and do a little due diligence there are some really interesting opportunities to help bring new projects into being.

The other key thing, along with an appetite for risk, that you will need is patience.  Many projects are delayed in the process and you may have to wait a lot longer than the estimated delivery date before you see whatever it is you backed.

As to due diligence, I would always suggest checking a creator's track record - have they delivered previous projects successfully and what was the feedback from previous backers.  Will the product be coming to retail and once you factor in VAT, shipping etc. will it be available cheaper.  Are the kickstarter exclusive elements or general bling worth it?  There's no one right answer and crowd funding is certainly not for everyone but I have added several figures and board games to my collections that wouldn't have existed without it.

I plan to share some of my specific projects in separate blog posts assuming anyone is interested!

All Quiet on the Blogging Front

It will not have escaped your notice that my posts have been somewhat sporadic of late.  I must admit that I have found the lockdown somewhat challenging.  I have been able to continue my day job working from home but all my main gaming opportunities have been absent.  This has had two real effects, firstly, the absence of actual gaming has removed the impetus for me to progress and complete projects; and secondly, the lack of buzz and banter the accompanies playing face to face has sapped my motivation.  But with the vaccine roll-out and the potential for the restrictions to be lifted to allow some gaming in the summer, I am feeling somewhat more positive and trying to plan out what games I would like to be able to put on (plus what work I need to do to enable that to happen!).

Things on the agenda include:

• 28mm WW2 - Poland 1939, Norway 1940 and Operation Sealion - all using Chain of Command
• 15mm WW2 - a trial of the new O Group rules using my early war figures
• 3mm WW2 - a trial of the Rommel rules
• 28mm Sudan - the siege of Khartoum (not quite sure which rules I will be using for this one)
• 15mm Mexican Adventure - a trial of the Zouave II rules
• 28mm Old West - a trial of A Fistful of Lead
• 28mm Vikings - a trial of the Blood Eagle rules
• 28mm Pulp - the China Station campaign using Pulp Alley
• 28mm WW1 - a late war scenario to trial of the Blood & Valor (sic) rules
• 15mm WW1 - further Eastern Front scenarios using Battles with Brusilov

As you may have guessed these need some painting and basing work to be done to make them happen so I just need to keep the focus and motivation up to get them ready.

I have no doubt I will get distracted before I get all of these to the table but I think it gives me plenty to be getting on with (and hopefully some material for some more blog posts!)

 

Operation Weserübung - German Infantry

 Here is the final platoon (for the moment) for my Operation Weserübung project - some German infantry in greatcoats (I based these so they could also be used in other theatres) - these are from Crusader Miniatures:

Operation Weserübung (Nord) - Gebirgsjäger

 And now for some opposition - 28mm German Mountain troops - this time they are a mix of Brigade Games and Gorgon Studios:

Operation Weserübung (Nord) - French Foreign Legion

 Continuing with my Norway 1940 project, here are some 28mm French Foreign Legion (suitably attired) from Gorgon Studios:

Operation Weserübung (Nord) - Norwegian Infantry

 I wanted to share some pictures of my developing Operation Weserübung project.  Here is a selection of my platoon of Norwegian Infantry - all 28mm figures from Gorgon Studios:

Happy New Year

 

(c) dreamstime.com

Here’s wishing you all a happier 2021!

Happy Hogswatch

 

Picture by Loopydave on Deviant Art

Gaming in Lockdown: Pulp Alley - Arctic Adventure

 My next trial of gaming with Zoom was using Pulp Alley (and thus a smaller table) but with a slightly different webcam set up and a different opponent.  As he also owned a copy of the cards he drew from his deck for his hand and any perils etc. for me whilst I did the same at my end.

I deployed a team of Nazis (“I hate these guy’s…”) under the sinister Dr. Stalhelm accompanied by a team of Gebirgsjaeger.  My opponent fielded a team of “stiff upper lip” Brits from the Long Range Arctic Survey Group (LRASG). This had a couple of unusually tough academics, the Leader, Professor MacInnes accompanied by Dr. Kennedy with two military types and a couple of Inuit guides.  Our tale continues from their perspective...

Scenario 1: The Crash Site

Some unusual rumours of strange lights in the sky have been emanating from sources in the arctic circle. The LRASG have been dispatched to investigate. Aided by two local guides, Kallik and Allatok, the team approach a site of possible significance...

MacInnes reaches one wreckage site but slips and tumbles into a crevasse. However, he managed a soft landing so no damage done. Meanwhile the first Nazi minions reach some wreckage, but can’t seem to explore without experiencing serious hazards which prevent the search.

Dragging himself from the crevasse, MacInnes successfully negotiates the wreckage and locates something of interest a short distance away. The Inuits move toward the Nazis while the rest of the LRASG spread out between the two closest wreckage sites. The Nazis continue a very unsuccessful search and Stalhelm has to jump away from some falling wreckage.  The Inuits move in on them. One of the Nazis, Weber, exchanges fire with Allatok.

MacInnes moves towards the item he identified in the snow and ice. He successfully negotiates the treacherous ground and shifting visibility. He is loosening it from the ice… 

At another site, Dr. Kennedy gets a bit disorientated in the swirling snow. Nearby while the Nazis continue with a frustrating search, Allatok and Weber exchange fire again and both are hit and injured. Another Nazi, Schneider, opens fire on one of the LRASG’s military types, Lt. Baylis.

MacInnes keeps working to free the item from the ice. Suddenly, he takes a hit from Nazi gunfire and is stunned. Baylis fires back to no effect. Meanwhile Dr. Kennedy finds his way back to the wreckage, makes a search and the ice shifts under the wreckage which is in danger of falling through into the lake below. However, Lt. Booth, (the Brits’ other military type) successfully locates another item of interest himself. Another of the Nazis, Muller, shoots Kallik who fires back, but he goes down too. Baylis shoots Schneider, but he dodges.

MacInnes finally frees the item from the ice. It’s a cache of “Top Secret” documents! But the Nazis also have some luck with Schmidt successfully discovering an injured crewman. Booth and one of the Gebirgsjaeger, Fischer, exchange fire. Baylis brings down Schneider while MacInnes and Stahlhelm exchange fire. Elsewhere, Kennedy successfully discovers an experimental bomb sight. Booth closes with Muller and gets into a punch up, but Booth gets knocked out cold (quite literally).

At this point the two sides disengage as the wreckage shifts and slips below the icy surface the frozen lake. A success for the Brits who recover two key sources of information but the Nazis leave with the injured crewman.

Having retired to safety the LRASG review the material they recovered and discover something interesting...

Scenario 2: A Secret Nazi Base…Where Else?

The recovered documents lead to the LRASG being tasked with recovering the aircraft’s inventor and destroying the Nazi base testing the new aircraft.

Approaching from some woods the Brits use the trees to mask their approach and their smoke grenades in order to reach the gate, allowing them to despatch the sentry. Miraculously, the remainder of the base remains oblivious. However, it all kicks off when MacInnes is forced to shoot a guard dog which attacks them and Baylis shoots his sentry/handler. They move toward a group of huts while Booth and Dr. Kennedy move along the fence to discover something interesting. The alerted Nazis get out of a truck and move toward the nearby huts.

Kennedy and Booth successfully locate a wire cut hole in the perimeter fence. Someone else has already broken in! Then both the LRASG teams converge on a stack of supply crates. 

Two Gebirgsjaeger, Fischer and Muller, push toward a plane on the airfield while Schmidt and Booth exchange fire in the location of the huts and crates. Both shrug off the near misses.

MacInnes discovers explosives already on the crates and lighting the fuse, sprints away.

Then the LRASG spot something interesting in a hut near the gate whilst the Nazi, Fischer, attempts to deal with a bomb on the fuel drums near the plane, but fails.

Fischer is electrocuted as he tries, inexpertly, to deal with the booby-trapped explosives on the plane. Fischer goes down! Meanwhile MacInnes and the remaining Nazis exchange furious fire. Muller is trying to disarm another bomb in the far corner of the airfield, at a fuel dump. About to attempt it he suffers misfortune and Muller falls injured.

Fischer recovers to disarm the bomb on the plane, but unfortunately for the Nazis Muller again fails. Fischer however gets up and removes the explosives from the plane. MacInnes blazes away at Schmidt, who goes down and joins Bush and Kennedy in cover close to the gate. Kennedy moves to a position near the gate to get a better view and sees the inventor! Dr. Stalhelm lurks in the proximity…but Booth engages him in fisticuffs.

Finally Booth manages to land a blow on Dr. Stalhelm and rushes to the gate. Both MacInnes and Dr. Kennedy both open-up on Dr. Stalhelm and also escape. While the Nazis try in vain to deal with the explosives, they detonate, destroying most of the secret Nazi lair!