Paras v Paras

 The club would be closed this last Tuesday for a parents evening, which means parking is a problem even if we could find a classroom open. I was supposed to be playing Rob so we set up a game on the Monday afternoon instead of the usual Tuesday. I wanted to use my new Fallschirmjager and Rob provided US Paratroopers as an opponent, I still required two LMG teams to make up a possible fourth squad for the new platoon but Black Tree design were to put it mildly, tardy. The new figures arrived after the game and were Afrika Korps and not Fallschirmjager, they have not had the decency to reply to my emails either.

No matter I found another scenario from WSS but thought Rob would have a hard time so I 'adjusted' it, a US force were defending a farm and my boys had to drive them off, the orginal was based on an action from 'Band of Brothers', it was OK, but I am not in thrall to the series. So I chose two MMG's and a Pz IIIN for my support while Rob took a HMG and two 60mm mortars.

The Jerries try a sprint to cross a road.

The Yanks invest the farm.

The lone survivor of the HMG.

Visibility was a problem as the farm was surrounded on one side by an orchard and it was enclosed by a brickwall, a medium obstacle which drastically reduced what you could see. I decided I would attack into the orchard and flank the farm or pick off a nearby objective, the rest of my troops would slowly move forward towards the buildings when they had a chance. Rob opened the combat by placing troops in the farm and orchard while setting the HMG up in the road which passed the farm taking my own MMG in the nearby woods under fire. I countered this by deploying a squad beside the gun and sending a wall of lead along the road which quickly killed off the threat to my right.

The Fallschirmjager move on the orchard.

Armoured support.

MMG team in a wood.

We were both fairly blessed with double turns and I used mine to advance on the orchard and deploy the rest of my troops on this flank, the tank sat on overwatch ever fearful of a bazooka team. Rob now got aggressive and put his remaining squad in the orchard and tentatively move towards me. I now sent the tank and a second squad into the trees and the Yanks melted under the withering fire. Rob had been using his mortars during the battle but they must have been firing duds. The orchard was now in German hands and I ran forward to capture a stunned leader, Rob now surprised me by repositioning his bazooka and my panzer crew panicked, but the bazooka team also obviously did not like the odds and missed, they now stared death in the face as I picked up the dice for my phase. Rob threw the towel in at this point.

Jerry closing in.

Grab him lads.

Ooops, we missed Hank.

I should also add that American morale was by this point fairly fragile and I was about to line the walls in order that I could shoot into the enemy squad holding out in the farm, and there was no answer to my tank. Although the American squads are large at this point in the war the firepower thrown out by the Fallschirmjager with two MG42 teams in each squad is ferocious. A good game and a nice win for the new boys on the block. I would still like to play the original scenario at some point, oh, and I have ordered the LMG teams I need from Artizan.

'Lucky' Jimi is a fine figure painter but for some reason was not keen on painting up the three vehicles he had for his Winter Germans, so with not a lot going on I volunteered, I thought it would be interesting to try a winter scheme. I first saw a 'winter' army in the shape of white based Vikings over forty years ago in a WRG tournament in Glasgow when it was not a thing. I was steamrollered and my Scots never forgave me but that's another story. I found a 'how to' video from Sonic Sledgehammer the same guy who inspired me to use Contrast paints on my Fallschirmjager on whitewashing vehicles. I found this very easy but did not put the effects on as heavy as Sonic, I prefer them as Spring is turning up and the colour is wearing off although I did put snow on the tracks albeit not heaps. One happy side effect to the watery whitewash I used is that once dried it looked like there had just been a light falling of snow, well I thought so.

No snow.

 

Snow on tracks etc.

I had a look at the Nauk Nauk app, you get two free 5 second goes with it, I quickly tried it out on the table I had set up for the game with Rob. I will add the links here, they may or may not work, but I think it is impressive. I have seen longer videos of the same type and they are amazing.

https://www.nauknauk.io/post/POST82ef444e-ecd5-41ab-b1a4-226cf72f0e25

https://www.nauknauk.io/post/POSTa2abf52f-ef6f-4662-b44e-7a9ed3b5fd99 

I have just finished the 2nd Season of House of the Dragon, what a complete waste of my time, eight episodes where basically nothing happens apart from a couple of sons are bumped off, one side has six dragons which in that world are the equivalent of nuclear munitions but the Queen is reluctant to use them, what! There is a blockade where she sends food in! She and the other one disappear with no one noticing and turn up in the enemy camp, and then just walk home again. Dire. I can only take it George R. Martin hasn't a clue how real medieval monarchs would act, and don't get me started on how many women are in charge.

 I will leave you however with good news, catch Black Rabbit on Netflix, yes there are a couple of things which annoy me, but that is not unknown. I am saving Slow Horses for a binge. 

The Club is being held up by modern red tape as our Leader is in Nepal and the venue is a school which has to protect the children from ........... guys who play with toy soldiers.

 I will therefore either be in limbo or having an Eastern Front game here in the Bunker, and talking of dark places I should be at the Dungeon week after next.