CapnJim's WW2 stuff (PaK40 AT Gun...Page 13...24 Dec 24).

[CapnJim]

Well, when playing FfoL:BB, we've had to have vehicles get hit 2 or 3 times to kill them.  But we've also had one-shot kills.

The trick is rating vehicles and AT weapons "right".  For example, a bazooka is a "missile launcher" by the rules and rolls 3 dice to hit.  We rate vehicles like a Panzer IV as "large" vehicles, with "heavy" guns.

So, the bazooka rolls 3 dice to hit.  With good rolls, it gets 3 hits.  Then, with good rolls, if can get 6 damage points (2 per dice).  That's enough to kill a "large" vehicle.

Odds are, though, you won't roll that well all the time, and it'll take a couple or a few shots to take out a tank.  That is pretty realistic. 

Remember the rule about crews abandoning vehicles when their Shock to Damage ratio gets off.  And any crews that are Rallying Shock ain't moving or fighting.

Does that help?

[Pan Marek]

Cap-
It certainly gives me food for thought, and hopefully a poke in the right direction when I reread the rules
with an eye towards trying them for WWII again.

Thanks!

[CapnJim]

You're welcome.

We do add in 2 house rules for vehicles: 

A.  Shock and Damage both reduce a vehicle's movement, and Shock reduces it's firepower.  We also reduce its firepower by its damage.

2.  The vehicle's armor save is reduced one level of armor when hit in the flank, rear, top, or bottom.  An armored vehicle's armor save can't be increased above 10+.

[CapnJim]

Okay.  More painted figures again.  This time, its more Germans, all 28mm.  As you have probably surmised, I've been filling in holes in my collection.  And that will continue for a while...

As I mentioned, these chaps are Germans,  Heer troops.  1st is a panzerschreck team.  They are mostly Warlord plastics (German Infantry and German Grenadiers), except for the loader's left arm (a Warlord plastic US Infantry bazooka arm) and the panzerschreck itself (TAG metal).  And, frankly, I don't recall what set the gunner's left arm came from - it was in my spares box.  This team participated in those bocage battles, but really didn't contribute much.




Next, we have a radio team.  These fellas are Harlequin Miniatures metals.  These guys were the mortar FO team in those bocage battles. They actually acquitted themselves quite well - the "Newly Painted Miniatures" curse didn't seem to affect them.   




And these dudes are dismounted armored vehicle crewman.  All Empress Miniatures metals.




Next up, all prepped and ready to prime, is a mix of Americans and Germans, again all 28mm.  For the Americans, we'll have 2 bazooka teams (one Warlord plastic and one Empress metal), an FO team (Harlequin Miniatures metals), and some dismounted tankers (Empress Miniatures metals).  For the Germans, it'll be a PaK40 AT gun (Artizan Designs metal) and a 4-man crew (2 Artizan Designs metals and 2 Warlord plastics).  Of course, pics will follow when I've finished painting them.

Till then...

[carlos marighela]

Nice work Jim, especially the panzerschreck conversion.

[Emmersonforest4]

They look great keep up the good work Capn

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas!

[CapnJim]

I got some more US GI support troops done up, all (as usual) 28mm.

First up is a bazooka team.  These are Warlord plastics.




Next up is another bazooka team.  These fellas are Empress metals.




And next is an FO team.  They could also be a good ol' everyday command team.  These are Harlequin metals.




And, last, here are some Empress dismounted tankers.




And, for comparison purposes, here they all are together.



With them, that gives me 2 complete platoons (3 squads each, with platoon HQs), with a higher ranking officer, 4 bazooka teams, 4 M1919 teams, 2 60mm mortar teams, a sniper team, an FO team, a 57mm AT gun, 11 dismounted tankers, 2 M4 Sherman (75mm) tanks, 3 deuce-and-a-halfs, 2 jeeps (one is a medic jeep, the other has a trailer), and an ambulance.  As you can see, uniforms include a mix of M41 "Parsons" and M43 field jackets.  I still want to do up an engineer squad, an M4 Sherman (76mm), 2 halftracks, and an M8 Greyhound.   Those'll be after the first of the year.

Next up will be a German PaK40 with crew.  That'll likely get done and posted here next week. 

Enjoy!

[Tom Dulski]

 It would appear that Harlequin metals and Black Tree designs are one and the same.

[carlos marighela]

It would appear that Harlequin metals and Black Tree designs are one and the same.

They are. BTD bought the range. Of course Harlequin being defunct, they are safer and more reliable to deal with than BTD. 


Impressive collection Jim! Surely you have to squeeze a tank destroyer in there as well?

[CapnJim]

I thought the 2 lines looked oddly similar.  Now I know why!  As Tom suggested and carlos confirmed, they are indeed one and the same.

A far as a TD goes, one never knows.  Is any collection ever truly complete? 

If I do get one, I'm leaning toward an M18 Hellcat.  It has always been my favorite US TD - it's fast, got a good gun, and just looks cool...

[CapnJim]

And now, for my next trick... 

A German PaK40, in 28mm.  The gun, gunner, and loader are from Artizan Designs.  The gun commander and rifleman are Warlord plastics.






With this AT gun, that gives me the following Germans:

Grenadiers
Platoon HQ
Sniper team
Panzerschreck team
Radio team
MG42 MMG team
3 squads

Panzergrenadiers/Volksgrenadiers
Platoon HQ
Panzerschreck team
2 squads

Waffen SS
Platoon HQ
MG42 MMG team
Radio team
2 understrength squads

PanzerLehr
2 squads

Miscellaneous
12 dismounted armored vehicle crewmen
2 Higher ranking officers
1 Gestapo agent
1 Vichy French official
1 Vehicle driver standing around smoking
1 Feldgendarme

Vehicles
2 PzKfw IVs
1 StuG III
2 Pumas
2 SdKfz 251s
2 Krupp-Protze trucks
1 Kubelwagen
1 Volkswagen
1 Mercedes staff car
1 PaK40 (yeah, I know - it's not technically a vehicle...)

In the pipeline?:

Panzergrenadiers/Volksgrenadiers
1 squad
1 MG42 MMG team
1 panzerschreck team
1 sniper team

Waffen SS
Flesh out 2 understrength squads
3rd squad
1 Panzerschreck team
1 sniper team

PanzerLehr
Platoon HQ
1 squad
1 MG42 MMG team
1 Panzerschreck team
1 sniper team

Vehicles
2 PxKfw IVs
4 SdKfz 251s
1 PzKfw III
1 PzKfw VI (Warlord's Kelly's Heroes version)

And that doesn't even count a DAK platoon...

[carlos marighela]

That's a really nice collection you have there.

[CapnJim]

Thanks, carlos.  Appreciate that.

I also have US Airborne and Marine platoons, a British Para platoon, and an IJA pkatoon...

Gotta have options, man...