Spearhead Game

Good evening,

Just finished another cool game of Spearhead with Robin, this time with my own figs here at home using the expanded ground scale (50% above the [6mm] ranges).

No time to fiddle around with a proper report now, but...I did manage to use my Tablet PC (which really really doesn't like the new server/printer/Win 7 settings at school - poor thing really had a spaz this morning...looks like it'll be wiped and re-installed...again...which probably means losing my email addresses...again...)...

But I digress.

I used the tablet to mark down my orders on a photo of the initial set up of the board. Cool!

I'll explain them later, but, for the time being...







And while I remember, Robin highly recommended this book here Why the Allies Won the War, a brief run down of which can be found by the author here.

He also recommended Masters and Commanders...which is why we didn't get the game finished - we were too busy discussing, well, WW2!

Nick

Semple's Tank

Good morning,

Just saw this from ANZAC Plastic, and thought it worth reposting here...


More information can be found here.

There is a bit of a passing resemblance to my Steam Tank!

Nick

Finished Extras for Spearhead

Good morning,

Here is the culmination of my Term 1 holidays...

• Two companies (three platoons each) of Kiwi/Brit infantry (+ Platoon Commanders when I want to use them for Crossfire)


• One Platoon/Squad (depending on the rules!) of SMG armed assault infantry


• One Platoon/Squad of engineers - the one with the flame thrower


• One Forward Observer stand for...


• One 25 Pounder with four [individually based] crew


• One Quad tractor that I'll replace the gun with when the 25 Pounder is "limbered"


• Four crew for the 6 Pounder that I made earlier

So...here are the grunts...



I especially like that second platoon/squad (Spear Head/Crossfire). Here you'll see one Caesar miniature (donated by Jack Sarge), one HaT Tank Rider (again, donated by the Sarge), and one Esci bod (sourced by Stan) all working together in harmony.

Actually, likewise this Engineer squad...



...and to a slightly lesser extent, the F/O. Another tank rider with an Esci radio operator.


Which makes a nice segue to the big gun itself, the 25 pounder...



...and it's primary mode of transportation, the Quad Artillery Tractor.




And just to prove that I painted the inside...



Cool! Having just put them away, I now realise that I need one more Company Commander element to use these extras as an understrength company for Crossfire. So...two more figs...how long might that take then?! I'd like to get them done before I drop all for The Great Hawker Named-After-A-Weather-Event Aircraft Group Build.

Nick

Andy's Winter Crossfire Germans for Sale

Good afternoon,

Well, I've decided to bite the bullet. Here, for your consideration, are Andy's Revel [Winter] Crossfire Germans...for sale...




Lovely painted figs, all based up for Crossfire, but, well, I got Germans already, and to use these would really require winter allies – probably Russians – which, although cool, would mean time spent away from my ancients...I only really intended the WW2 stuff to be a side interest...which is kinda taking over at the mo!

Included are a bag of 30 of the same figs, loose and unpainted.

Anyone interested, please visit my Trade Me auction.

Cheers,

Nick

The Great Hawker Named-After-A-Weather-Event Aircraft Group Build

Good afternoon,

Subsequent to yesterday's post, and after a bit of a discussion with Paul, from Plastic Warriors, and Jack Sarge from Jack Sarge's Wargames Ramblings, we have decided to do a group build of a Hawker aircraft that was named after a weather event. Open to all and sundry.

The rules, such as they are, are...

1. The model has to be a 1/72^nd aircraft that the Hawker aircraft company named after a weather event. Specifically...
   
   
   • Fury (I'm sure that's another name of one of those water spout mini tornado things...right?)
   
   
   • Hurricane
   
   
   • Typhoon
   
   
   • Tornado
   
   
   • Tempest
   
   
   • Sea Fury


2. You've got a month, starting the 1^st of May


3. And you've gotta share your progess, either on your own blog, or, well, one of ours - we'd be happy to post your work for you

Umm, so there you are.


I'm building an Airfix Typhoon 1B (a Bombphoon - alas, the kit doesn't have rockets...and before you ask, no, I'm not going to make any!), as is the Sarge. Paul's got an Airfix Tempest.

If anyone is interested, contact either Paul, Sarge or me by leaving a comment on our blogs.

Deadline for joining us is the 30^th of April.

Cheers,

Nick

By the way, check out this bloke that's done something similar, in a grand, grand way!

Toyworld Model Sale

Good afternoon,

I'm still pottering away with the latest batch of WW2 Kiwi infantry and the 25 pounder, but I was in Toyworld Tower Junction (actually looking for some Italeri M3 Halftracks...) when I came across this...


Somewhat inspired by Dave's Tempest and having wanted one for a while now to support my 20mm-Brits-cum-Kiwis-cum-Brits in Normandy, preferably as part of 486 (NZ) squadron...which I now realise were flying Tempests in Normandy! Bother!

Still, at the princely sum of $NZ 9.09, down 30% from $NZ 12.99, it still ain't half bad, and even if they haven't got a Tempest to replace it, I can still use it.


Dunno when the sale will end, and dunno if it's nation wide, or just in Riccarton, but, well, if you're after some plastic...

Nick

Awaiting Some Spray Paint

Good afternoon,

Last night I started finally pulling together the Plastic Soldier Company Panzer IVs...and already the main components are ready for a spray undercoat. So I thought I'd also get the major components of the Quad and 25 Pounder ready for a spray as well, along with the figs that I cleaned up and sorted out yesterday afternoon ready for undercoating too.








These PSC Pzs are brilliant - nice, clean casts, simple construction, I had lots of fun pulling them together. Only thing is the hatch on the right hand side of the turret. Had to be considerably trimmed down to fit. Other than that, so far they've all gone together beautifully.

Now to buy some cheap black spray undercoat...

Nick

And sprayed they have been.

Shermans and Carriers End State

Good afternoon,

Here are the end state of my Shermans and my Carrier...+ a few bits and pieces.




Young Jack Sarge sent me over a dozen or so figs and decals - including these HaT Brit Tank Riders. So I decided to add some to my latest vehicles.

First up, the Carrier.


Hard to see in this shot (or the others, for that matter) is the wee Kiwi decal in front of the driver. It's from a sheet that the Sarge sent over that originated from a Long Range Desert Group vehicle.

The gunner is a cut down tank rider - I cut off his back pack, and had to cut down his legs to fit him in.

Next, the tanks.





The Firefly is one that Andy had put together and gave me a while back.

Here we have the jeeps.



The Esci Brit commander was actually sitting in one of my unpainted Fireflies, now he's driving a jeep. Talk about a step down!

Finally, the 6 Pounder, based and crewed.



I based the crew individually so that I could leave it on the table after it had been 'knocked out' in game terms.

All in all, I think the addition of the crew and decals makes an excellent difference.

Cheers Sarge!

Nick

Shermans and Carrier Finished...

...mostly. Ok, so they're sans decals, but, well, I ain't got none for the tanks, and I kinda forgot for the carrier 'till after I weathered it!

Good morning,

Here, in their highlighted and 'weathered' (or at least 'dusty-ed') final state are my latest Allied vehicles. (The 'weathering', for lack of a better term, looks much better in the plastic, than in the photos.)



First up, the Bren Gun Carrier, sans Bren gun.





Note how high the driver is sitting up compared with the driving position in the clip below. Which speaks to me of a 1/76 model repackaged as 1/72 (as it was) by simply throwing in some 1/72 figures.

Still, it'll do 'till either the Plastic Soldier Company bring out theirs, or Stan brings out his!

And now the wee jeep[s]. The second jeep ain't got no front wheels, but I thought I could use it as a bit of terrain/scenery.

(Post script - Paul from Plastic Warriors suggested that I take the spares off both to replace the missing front wheels on one. Ha! Brilliant!)


Next, the big boys. And they are considerably bigger than the rest. The difference between 1/72 and 1/76 toys...






Lastly, the 6 pounder.



Still gotta base it, which in itself presents a dilemma. Do I base it with a 40mm frontage like the rest of the Crossfire/Spear Head stuff, and have the crew loose so's I can leave the model abandoned (take away the crew) when it is 'destroyed' in games terms, or do I put it on a bigger base complete with crew? I'm leaning towards the former idea myself, but Andy's big German gun looks way cool on the bigger base, and he's got single based crew with it, so...not sure.

Nick