Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Interwar => Topic started by: Sparrow on May 02, 2021, 09:56:11 AM
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Like so many of us, the last 12 months has been a few ZOOM games and a lot of Solo Wargaming. I am SO looking forward to getting back with my usual wargames mates! I’ve also been repainting parts of my collections, painting new stuff and “organising” myself (for this read “reminding myself why I’m not starting any new periods!”). Bringing this all together I thought I’d bash out a few games warming myself up for “the real thing” in, hopefully, a few weeks time. First up SCW.
My overall idea is a Convent and Condor Legion Flak position that needs capturing by the Republicans. I’m still setting up and putting troops out / getting ideas but I thought I’d put up a few initial shots.
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As the game goes on I’ll try and get a few more that don’t look like they’ve been taken by a drunk lying down! lol
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Cool looking game.
As the game goes on I’ll try and get a few more that don’t look like they’ve been taken by a drunk lying down! lol
Frankly with lock-down a lot of us are of that orientation...
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Cool looking game.
Frankly with lock-down a lot of us are of that orientation...
Laughed out loud! Cheers Fred.... now sorted!
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Great looking game
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That all looks splendid. I'm interested to see how the rules work.
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Cheers each, appreciated.
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Great looking game! Can't wait to see more
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Love the town. Those are some great looking buildings.
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Love the town. Those are some great looking buildings.
I can’t claim all the credit! Quite a few are the work of Dave Bodley at Grand Manner. I acquired them a few years ago.
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They are great looking buildings
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A quick update on my solo SCW game.
A three pronged assault was planned by the Republicans. On the left the CNT/FAI militia pushed through the olive grove trying to bring their dynamiteros in range to cover a final assault. The plan was disrupted by surprisingly accurate Italian artillery (ie some pretty good rolling!) that cut off the initial wave from its support troops breaking the morale of the latter. The attack was then pinned down and came to nothing.
In the centre the Assaultos advanced with confidence but as a supporting Armoured Truck tried to broaden the attack and move off the road it bogged down and the engine overheated as the driver over-revved the engine (an unfortunately timed Event Card!). It is now broken down at the side of the road. The Assaultos pushed up to Windmill Hill but surprisingly accurate fire from the Carlist Hotchkiss MG achieved a “suppression” effect resulting in a morale fail by the crew.
The attack faltered. On the right the attack was far more successful until Republican troops were surprised by fire from a copse of trees and Carlist reserves rushed forward stalling the assault.
Republican troops have retreated back to the town to reorganise and await the arrival of a column of troops from the International Brigades supported by some T26’s expected to arrive after nightfall. (The Republican forces are overdue some decent dice rolls!j.
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The game look superb.
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Sparrow, very nice. Can I ask what you think of “A World Aflame” as a ruleset? I tried them when they were first released and found them somewhat lacking...something I find with many Osprey ruleset. I have also tried “Triumph and Tragedy” and it’s SCW add-on as an alternative, plus 2FL’s Chain of Command. However my 28mm SCW is currently sitting unused in “deep store”.
Thanks
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Nice figs and a great little report.
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I enjoyed that too. Can we have some more?
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Superb looking game! :-* :-*
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Sparrow, very nice. Can I ask what you think of “A World Aflame” as a ruleset? I tried them when they were first released and found them somewhat lacking...something I find with many Osprey ruleset. I have also tried “Triumph and Tragedy” and it’s SCW add-on as an alternative, plus 2FL’s Chain of Command. However my 28mm SCW is currently sitting unused in “deep store”.
Thanks
Hi. Firstly I am biased as I helped with the play testing (which means I saw them before the Osprey edit 😉), They are very much a kit bag you can adapt or add to and games benefit from some time in pre prep and you designing appropriate event cards for your game. As is said at the start of the rules there is more than a nod and a wink towards Charles Grant. I don’t play WW2 these days but the mechanisms probably wouldn’t work for 39-45 by current gaming standards? However, their simplicity (I think) works well for the Inter War period. They are not everyone’s cup of tea but I’m comfortable with them (a big factor if I’m honest) and give me the sort of game I’m after. Hope this helps. (I also use Chain of Command for SCW games and enjoy those to!).
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I enjoyed that too. Can we have some more?
The day job sort of snowed me under today but once I’ve set up and played “day 2” of the game I’ll pop some more pics and a précis up. Will probably be the weekend at this rate 🤣. The aim is to get all my “toys” out so at some stage I’ll have to work in Panzer 1’s and CV Tankettes to! Glad you’ve liked the pics so far ... thank you!
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Sparrow, your game has probably inspired me to dust-down my copy of "A World aflame" and give them another go. Nothing to lose!
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The day job sort of snowed me under today but once I’ve set up and played “day 2” of the game I’ll pop some more pics and a précis up. Will probably be the weekend at this rate 🤣. The aim is to get all my “toys” out so at some stage I’ll have to work in Panzer 1’s and CV Tankettes to! Glad you’ve liked the pics so far ... thank you!
Much appreciated. Also, where do you get Panzer 1s? I've been looking to no avail.
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Much appreciated. Also, where do you get Panzer 1s? I've been looking to no avail.
Here one would imagine
https://www.empressminiatures.com/tanks-and-vehicles-55-c.asp
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Sparrow, are your buildings home-made or commercially available? If the latter can you say who the manufacturer is. I would normally shie-away from a large expenditure of 28mm buildings for what is a "niche" period for me, but some could also serve with my 28mm Peninsular War collection.
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Sparrow, are your buildings home-made or commercially available? If the latter can you say who the manufacturer is. I would normally shie-away from a large expenditure of 28mm buildings for what is a "niche" period for me, but some could also serve with my 28mm Peninsular War collection.
A lot from here;
https://www.empressminiatures.com/builders-yard-89-c.asp
You could also ask the Author of A World Aflame if you have any questions.
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Hi all. Buildings are primarily a combination of Empress, Grand Manner (and a couple of jazzed up Miniature Building Authority from when you used to get the in the UK), all worked on by Dave Bodeley.
If you want SCW tanks look no further than Empress.
SJWI - I hope you get on better with the rules ‘second time around’. The key is work with their style and add the layers/flavour for your style of game with event cards (and house rules?). Treat them as a kit bag.
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You could also ask the Author of A World Aflame if you have any questions.
Oh yeah.. and any questions to Paul lol
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This looks all very nice
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Okay, after a bit of “real world” disruption my solo game reaches Day 2. Overnight many of the CNT FAI militia have melted away (decided by dice) and the few remaining are just enough to provide a holding force on the Republican left but that’s about it. The Assaultos have held up better although they are light on ammo now. The Republican HQ has given them orders to hold the village.
More important is the arrival of a near full strength batttalion from the International Brigade (the British battalion) plus a more depleted battalion (the German battalion) along with three ATG’s and 4 T26’s (I told you I wanted to get my toys” out!). In the hour before dawn these have been deployed on the Republican right with the T26’s and the British battalion up front and the German battalion forming the reserve. The plan is to sweep up the right flank and the storm the copse woodland whilst turning left to capture Windmill Hill. The 2nd wave support line can then move through and see off the remaining Fascist forces. In the assault the T26’s will also try to deal with the barbed wire in front of Windmill Hill.
Nationalist overnight support has been patchy (a long overdue bit of bad dice rolling on their part) and is limited to a Mountain Gun, deployed near to the Condor Legion Flak battery, and an ATG secreted in the grove to face the tank attack expected given the track noises heard in the hours before dawn. The Condor Legion FAO has relocated to the Convent Tower and limited off table artillery support is available (if the right event card turns up).
Cloud cover is limited and air support is possible (if the event cards allow).
Here we go!
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This looks fantastic, can't wait to see more
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Cheers Scotty, appreciated. A few more snaps (taken like all of them on my mobile phone) before the tanks start rolling....
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Very good, thank you.
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Ok, next stage of my solo SCW game.
The initial advance by the tanks and British battalion went well. I had it so the tanks had to make a full move based on whatever they rolled (all movement in the rules is random) so one tank, in particular, got ahead of its support. Morale was high and the attack surges forward. The Maxim lays down a pretty accurate fire until it realises the next ammo box contains the wrong ammo (an event card). The lead tank crashes through the wire (removing the right element for game purposes) and then turns left up Windmill Hill causing some Carlists to run and those who stand to be eliminated by HE and machine gun fire (including the Priest and Carlist Battalion HQ). The hill is captured!
However, overnight, an ATG has been placed in the Copse and this opens up at short range. One T26 brews up and another is an effective game KO (although the tank is salvageable). The tank on Windmill Hill traverses and knocks out the “mortar carrier” as it pulls back trying to get the hill back in minimum range (it was too close to fire).
The other surviving T26 skirts the Copse making for the Italian guns. Heavy rifle and MG fire pin down it’s infantry support and, isolated, it is pounced on by some Carlists with Molotov Cocktails and knocked out.
Elsewhere HE fire (and then extra off table artillery fire… another event card) rips into the supporting International Brigade battalion causing extensive casualties. It starts to retire but as the unrelenting fire continues the retreat quickly becomes a rout.
On the Republican left HE fire walks its way into the Carlist position and starts inflicting heavy losses but this cannot be exploited as the CNT FAI militia refuses to advance (they feel they were used as cannon fodder the previous day and are resentful and suspicious).
Back on Windmill Hill the FAO hasn’t made it up on top of the slope so, although the Condor Legion flak battery is just about within sight, supporting artillery fire can’t be called in and a runner (a brave runner!) is despatched! The British battalion commander works out that there must now be observers in the Convent tower and the last HE shell of the surviving T26 is fired in the hope of bringing this down but misses.
SMG and rifle fire from the Copse and Convent sees casualties start to accumulate amongst the Brigaders. At this point CTV infantry and Tankettes are observed moving on to the battlefield.,
It’s getting tense.
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A great game and photos
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Truly wonderful reading, thank you. The SCW seems such a dramatic setting with all its varying troop types and equipment.
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Excellent looking game and great report.
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Yes, a great period to game and so much more background material available than when I first started 20 years ago. Some excellent looking books published on both the Republican and Nationalist forces quite recently.
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The last moves of my solo SCW game. Running out of ammo and facing CTV infantry coming up on their right and Tankettes on their left, under HE and small arms fire with casualties slowly accumulating, despite the cover they are in, the commander of the International Brigade’s British battalion takes the difficult decision that they will have to evacuate Windmill Hill. The infantry manage to dive over the rear defences reducing the fire that can be brought to bear on them. They then run as fast as they can back to their start line helped by the opportune event card calling off the Nationalist HE fire. The T26 is not so lucky. As it reverses from the hill the ATG in the Copse uses its last round to land a killing shot. All the T26’s have been lost.
Encouraged, and overly optimistic, the surviving Nationalist Armoured Car races forward but is immediately stopped by a serious suppressive hit from a Republican ATG (revenge at last!). The Tankettes surge forward immediately taking two hits from other Republican ATG’s and then all eyes turn upwards, a Condor Legion aircraft appear overhead (an Event Card). Eyes turn to the dice 1-2 and they attack their own side, 3-6 their opponents.... a 1. The aircraft immediately attacks the Italian Tankettes (I blame myself, I was too lazy to paint air recognition markings on the top of the vehicles, divine judgement!). The Nationalist counter attack crumbles to a stand still. Game over.
I’ve rediscovered my SCW interest! I’m really happy with the figures rebased using my new method so time to go back and do all my other SCW minis the same way (starting with the CNT FAI militia and then my Moors and Legion) plus paint my Republican and Nationalist regulars, cavalry and Falange. I also want to build up the size of my Assaultos and Garda Civil units and potentially give them some heavy weapons of their own? One thing’s for sute, I don’t need any more ATG’s. I probably have enough for an SCW PAK front! More importantly, I want to do more SCW games!
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A superb game and lovely photos. Thanks for sharing as it gives me plenty of motivation to complete my own collection
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A very enjoyable series of battle reports. Thank you! :)
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Great read and photos.
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Yes, all that. Inspiring stuff.
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Cheers all, v much appreciated. I must admit, after an initial wave of enthusiasm at the start of lockdown I’ve found solo gaming quite “demanding” but this one just seemed to flow (If nothing else the game acted as a useful motivator for me to get on with painting more of my SCW lead mountain).
My first game of 2021 with a face to face opponent this weekend. Although not interwar I can’t wait!